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Related Experiment Videos

Platelet-activating factor is a general membrane perturbant.

D B Sawyer1, O S Andersen

  • 1Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Cornell University Medical College, New York, NY 10021.

Biochimica Et Biophysica Acta
|December 11, 1989
PubMed
Summary
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Platelet-activating factor (PAF) at high concentrations acts like a detergent, disrupting cell membranes and altering protein behavior. This membrane perturbation may explain some of PAF's observed effects in laboratory settings.

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Cell Biology
  • Membrane Biophysics

Background:

  • Platelet-activating factor (PAF) is a known mediator of inflammation and coagulation at nanomolar concentrations.
  • At higher, micromolar concentrations, PAF exhibits diverse effects on various tissues.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the mechanism behind the diverse effects of Platelet-activating factor (PAF) at pharmacological concentrations.
  • To determine if PAF acts as a membrane perturbant at micromolar concentrations.

Main Methods:

  • Studied the effects of micromolar concentrations of Platelet-activating factor (PAF) on lipid bilayers.
  • Investigated alterations in gramicidin A channels in the presence of PAF.
  • Assessed the disruption of host lipid bilayer barrier properties by PAF.

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Main Results:

  • Platelet-activating factor (PAF) at micromolar concentrations functions as a membrane perturbant.
  • PAF alters the properties of gramicidin A channels.
  • Concentrations of PAF greater than or equal to 4 microM disrupt the barrier properties of lipid bilayers.

Conclusions:

  • Platelet-activating factor (PAF) exhibits detergent-like properties at micromolar concentrations.
  • PAF non-specifically alters the behavior of membranes and membrane proteins.
  • This membrane-perturbing action may explain previously observed in vitro effects of PAF at high concentrations.