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Published on: October 27, 2009
Involvement of fibrinogen specific binding in erythrocyte aggregation
David Lominadze1, William L Dean
1Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40292, USA. dglomi01@louisville.edu
Fibrinogen can cause erythrocyte aggregation through specific binding to red blood cell membranes, not just non-specific interactions. This finding suggests a new mechanism in cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Hematology
- Cardiovascular Science
Background:
- Elevated fibrinogen and erythrocyte aggregation are key risks for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.
- Current understanding attributes fibrinogen-induced erythrocyte aggregation to non-specific binding.
- Hypertension data suggests additional mechanisms may be involved.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the hypothesis that specific fibrinogen binding contributes to erythrocyte aggregation.
- To explore potential specific molecular interactions between fibrinogen and erythrocytes.
Main Methods:
- Utilized Oregon Green 488-labeled human fibrinogen to study binding to rat erythrocyte membranes.
- Quantified fibrinogen binding affinity using dissociation constant (Kd).
- Assessed the effect of the peptide Arg-Gly-Asp-Ser on fibrinogen binding and erythrocyte aggregation.
Main Results:
- Oregon Green 488-labeled human fibrinogen demonstrated specific binding to rat erythrocyte membranes with a Kd of 1.3 microM.
- The peptide Arg-Gly-Asp-Ser significantly inhibited both fibrinogen-induced erythrocyte aggregation and specific fibrinogen binding to erythrocyte membranes.
Conclusions:
- Fibrinogen-induced erythrocyte aggregation involves a specific binding mechanism in addition to non-specific interactions.
- This specific binding may play a role in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disorders.
- The findings open new avenues for understanding and potentially treating related diseases.
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