Response of blood platelets to β-glucan from Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Abstract

The effects of the β-D-glucan, a polysaccharide derived from the yeast cell walls of species such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae, on blood platelets activation induced by physiological agonists (thrombin, ADP, collagen) in vitro were studied. The aim of our study was to assess in vitro if β-glucan, a naturally strong biological response modifier, may modify platelet activation, i.e. platelet aggregation and degranulation (release of proteins and adenine nucleotides) induced by thrombin, ADP and collagen. Cytochrome c reduction method was used to test the ability of β-glucan to change superoxide anion generation in platelets. Moreover, we determined also its effect on enzymatic arachidonic acid cascade. The obtained results indicate that β-glucan has the inhibitory effects on platelet aggregation and secretion. β-glucan distinctly reduced the arachidonic acid pathway and superoxide anion radical generation in platelets stimulated by biological agonists. The results of the present study suggest that β-glucan from Saccharomyces cerevisiae has antiplatelet and antioxidative activities, and therefore may be beneficial in the prevention of the excessive blood platelet activation–related diseases, such as cardiovascular or inflammatory diseases.