The immunological generation of a platelet-activating factor and a platet-lytic factor in the rat

Antigen challenge of the rat peritoneal cavity which had been prepared with IgGa-rich antiserum generated activities which released [14C]-serotonin from pre-labelled human platelets. After adsorption of these activities onto Amberlite XAD-8 and elution in 80% ethanol, two factors of differing polarity were resolved by chromatography on diethylaminoethyl cellulose in organic solvents. The activity eluting in the 7:1 chloroform:methanol solvent contained a platelet-lytic factor (PLF) assessed by the parallel release of lactic acid dehydrogenase and [14C]-serotonin; the cytotoxicity of this fraction was confirmed by phase-contrast microscopy examination which demonstrated fragmentation of the exposed platelets. The activity eluting in the 1:1 methanol: aqueous 1.0 M ammonium carbonate solvent was a platelet-activating factor (PAF) as defined by release of [14C]-serotonin without lactic acid dehydrogenase. Both the lytic and the activating principles were separable from slow reacting substance of anaphylaxis and polymorphonuclear leucocyte chemotactic activity, and each presented a single activity peak of differing mobility when chromatographed on silica gel H plates. Human eosinophil phospholipase D inactivated the lytic factor by more than 85% in 2 h at 37 degrees without affecting the activity of the activating factor. The release of [14C]-serotonin induced by the PAF was not affected by the absence of calcium from the medium or by elevations in the platelet concentrations of cyclic AMP or cyclic GMP that resulted from pre-incubation of platelets with prostaglandin D2 or sodium ascorbate, respectively.