2014 年 21 巻 1 号 p. 23-37
Aim: In this study, we investigated the effects of caffeic acid (CAFA), a phenolic acid, on Ca2＋-antagonistic cyclic nucleotides associated with the phosphorylation of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor (IP3R) and vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein (VASP) and the thromboxane A2 (TXA2)-associated microsomal cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1) activity in collagen (10 μg/mL)-stimulated platelet aggregation.
Methods: Washed platelets (108/mL) obtained from Sprague-Dawley rats (6-7 weeks old, male) were preincubated for 3 minutes at 37℃ in the presence of 2 mM exogenous CaCl2 with or without CAFA or other materials, stimulated with collagen (10 μg/mL) for 5 minutes, then used to determine the levels of intracellular cytosolic Ca2＋ ([Ca2＋]i), TXA2, cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP), COX-1 activity, VASP and IP3R phosphorylation.
Results: CAFA dose-dependently inhibited collagen-induced platelet aggregation and suppressed the production of TXA2, an aggregation-inducing autacoid associated with the strong inhibition of COX-1 in platelet microsomes exhibiting cytochrome C reductase activity. CAFA dose-dependently inhibited collagen-elevated [Ca2＋]i mobilization, which was increased by a cAMP-dependent protein kinase (A-kinase) inhibitor, Rp-8-Br-cAMPS, but not a cGMP-dependent protein kinase (G-kinase) inhibitor, Rp-8-Br-cGMPS. In addition, CAFA significantly increased the formation of cAMP and cGMP, intracellular Ca2＋-antagonists that function as aggregation-inhibiting molecules. CAFA increased IP3R (320 kDa) phosphorylation, indicating the inhibition of IP3-mediated Ca2＋ release from internal stores (i.e. the dense tubular system) via the IP3R on collagen-activated platelets. Furthermore, CAFA-induced IP3R phosphorylation was strongly inhibited by an A-kinase inhibitor, Rp-8-Br-cAMPS, but only mildly inhibited by a G-kinase inhibitor, Rp-8-Br-cGMPS. These results suggest that the inhibition of [Ca2＋]i mobilization by CAFA is resulted from the cAMP/A-kinase-dependent phosphorylation of IP3R. CAFA elevated the phosphorylation of VASP-Ser157, an A-kinase substrate, but not the phosphorylation of VASP-Ser239, a G-kinase substrate. We demonstrate that CAFA increases cAMP and subsequently phosphorylates both IP3R and VASP-Ser157 through A-kinase activation to inhibit [Ca2＋]i mobilization and TXA2 production via the inhibition of the COX-1 activity.
Conclusions: These results strongly indicate that CAFA is a potent beneficial compound that elevates the level of cAMP-dependent protein phosphorylation in collagen-platelet interactions, which may result in the prevention of platelet aggregation-mediated thrombotic diseases.
