Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 19, 2026

Analyzing Platelet Subpopulations by Multi-color Flow Cytometry
Published on: June 10, 2025
Ocular actions of platelet-activating factor: clinical implications
Eirini Nitoda1, Marilita M Moschos, Clio P Mavragani
1National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, Medical School, Department of Ophthalmology, 121, Marathonodromou Street, Marousi, 15125, Athens, Greece.
Introduction:
To summarize the currently available evidence of platelet-activating factor (PAF) implication in the pathogenesis of inflammatory ocular diseases.
Areas Covered:
PAF is a potent mediator of inflammation, implicated in the pathogenesis of chronic inflammatory disorders, allergic reactions, oncogenic transformation, wound repair and hypoxia-induced angiogenesis. It seems to be involved in the protection of ocular surface against various harmful agents through inflammatory processes, which can lead to chronic allergic reactions or even corneal neovascularization and haze, if they do not undergo regulation. Pathogenesis of uveitis, which is significant cause for the blurring of the visual system, has also been associated with PAF's activity. The hypoxia and the breakdown of the blood-retina barrier, observed in severe vascular retinal diseases, such as age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy, are associated with PAF ocular activity.
Expert Opinion:
Understanding the pathophysiology of vision threatening diseases could enhance clinical treatment and encourage experimental studies, which could be based on potential beneficial effects of new agents, such as PAF antagonists.
Related Concept Videos
Formation of the Platelet Plug
As the injured blood vessel contracts, endothelial cells undergo contraction, revealing collagen fibers in the basement membrane and underlying connective tissue. Furthermore, the plasma membrane of endothelial cells becomes adhesive, preparing the site for platelet adhesion. Platelets...
Structure and Function of Platelets
Platelets are continually replenished, circulating in the bloodstream for 9-12 days before being removed by phagocytes, primarily in the spleen. A microliter of circulating blood contains between 150,000 and 450,000 platelets, with...
Antiplatelet Drugs: Prostaglandin Synthesis, P2Y12 and Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa Inhibitors
Prostaglandin synthesis inhibitors, exemplified by the widely known aspirin, wield their power by irreversibly acetylating...
Clot Retraction and Fibrinolysis
Anticoagulant Drugs: Low-Molecular-Weight Heparins

