Effects of chlorpromazine on phosphatidylinositol turnover following thrombin stimulation of human platelets

Abstract

Thrombin stimulation of human platelets is known to result in phosphatidylinositol turnover (PI response), the activation of protein kinase C (C-kinase), and the release of arachidonic acid (AA). The authors studied the effects of chlorpromazine (CPZ) on these responses. At a concentration of 100 microM, CPZ inhibited the phosphorylation of 40,000-dalton protein through C-kinase activation. CPZ failed to inhibit initial transient synthesis of 1,2-diacylglycerol (1,2-DAG) through the PI response, although it slowed the concurrent decreasing process. CPZ inhibited promotion of compensatory synthesis of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2), and also inhibited the synthesis of phosphatidic acid (PA). These results suggest that phosphatidylinositol 4-monophosphate kinase and diacylglycerol kinase (DAG-kinase) may be inhibited by CPZ. CPZ also intensified the accumulation of inositol phosphates caused by the PI response, indicating possible inhibition of the phosphatases that metabolize these phosphates. Thus, CPZ partially inhibited the PI response. However, it appears likely that the inhibition of C-kinase activity by CPZ was not due to inhibition of 1,2-DAG production nor to direct inhibition of phospholipase C. CPZ also inhibited AA release. This action might be partially a result of the inhibitory effect of CPZ on PA production.