Abstract

Sesamol is a potent phenolic antioxidant which possesses antimutagenic, antihepatotoxic, and antiaging properties. Platelet activation is relevant to a variety of acute thrombotic events and coronary heart diseases. There have been few studies on the effect of sesamol on platelets. Therefore, the aim of this study was to systematically examine the detailed mechanisms of sesamol in preventing platelet activation in vitro and in vivo. Sesamol (2.5-5 microM) exhibited more-potent activity of inhibiting platelet aggregation stimulated by collagen than other agonists. Sesamol inhibited collagen-stimulated platelet activation accompanied by [Ca2+]i mobilization, thromboxane A2 (TXA2) formation, and phospholipase C (PLC)gamma 2, protein kinase C (PKC), and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) phosphorylation in washed platelets. Sesamol markedly increased cAMP and cGMP levels, endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) expression, and NO release as well as vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein (VASP) phosphorylation. SQ22536, an inhibitor of adenylate cyclase, markedly reversed the sesamol-mediated inhibitory effects on platelet aggregation and p38 MAPK phosphorylation, and sesamol-mediated stimulatory effects on VASP and eNOS phosphorylation, and NO release. Sesamol also reduced hydroxyl radical (OH˙) formation in platelets. In an in vivo study, sesamol (5 mg/kg) significantly prolonged platelet plug formation of mice. Although platelets are anucleated cells, they also express the transcription factor, NF-κB, that may exert non-genomic functions in platelet activation. Therefore, we further investigated the inhibitory roles of sesamol in NF-κB-mediated platelet function. NF-κB signaling events, including IKKβ phosphorylation, IκBα degradation, and p65 phosphorylation, were markedly activated by collagen (1 μg/ml) in washed human platelets, and these signaling events were attenuated by sesamol (2.5~25 μM). Furthermore, SQ22536 and ODQ, inhibitors of adenylate cyclase and guanylate cyclase, respectively, strongly reversed the sesamol (25 μM)-mediated inhibitory effects of IKKβ phosphorylation, IκBα degradation, and p65 phosphorylation stimulated by collagen. The protein kinase A (PKA) inhibitor, H89, also reversed sesamol-mediated inhibition of IκBα degradation. Moreover, BAY11-7082, an NF-κB inhibitor, abolished IκBα degradation, phospholipase C (PLC)γ2 phosphorylation, protein kinase C (PKC) activation, [Ca2+]i mobilization, and platelet aggregation stimulated by collagen. Preincubation of platelets with the inhibitors, SQ22536 and H89, both strongly reversed sesamol-mediated inhibition of platelet aggregation and [Ca2+]i mobilization. The most important findings of this study demonstrate for the first time that sesamol possesses potent antiplatelet activity, which may involve activation of the cAMP-eNOS/NO-cGMP pathway, resulting in inhibition of the PLCγ2 -PKC-p38 MAPK-TXA2 cascade, and finally inhibition of platelet aggregation. Sesamol treatment may represent a novel approach to lowering the risk of or improving function in thromboembolism-related disorders. In addition, we further found could sesamol activate cAMP-PKA signaling, followed by inhibition of the NF-κB-PLC-PKC cascade, thereby leading to inhibition of [Ca2+]i mobilization and platelet aggregation. Because platelet activation is not only linked to hemostasis, but also has a relevant role in inflammation and metastasis, our data also demonstrating that inhibition of NF-κB interferes with platelet function may have a great impact when these types of drugs are considered for the treatment of cardiovascular disease, cancer and various inflammatory diseases.

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