Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 15, 2025
Preparation of Washed Human Platelets for Quantitative Metabolic Flux Studies
Published on: January 10, 2025
Purine Metabolism in Platelets and Heart Cells of Hyperlipidemic Rats
A G Manzoni1,2, D F Passos1,2, P H Doleski1,2
1Laboratório de Imunobiologia Experimental e Aplicada (LABIBIO), Departamento de Microbiologia e Parasitologia, Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil.
Purpose:
Hyperlipidemia, characterized by an increase in circulating lipid levels, doubles the chance of developing cardiovascular diseases. It prompts inflammation, immune activation, and oxidative stress in the bloodstream and organs of rats. Thus, we theorized that the metabolism of purines, an immunomodulatory mechanism, is altered in cells involved in the development of cardiovascular diseases.
Methods:
Therefore, we induced acute hyperlipidemia in Wistar rats with Poloxamer-407 and euthanized the animals 36 h later. The leucocyte differential, the rate of purine metabolism on the surface of platelets and heart cells, and markers of oxidative stress in the heart tissue were evaluated. These parameters were also assessed in animals pretreated for 30 days with curcumin and/or rutin.
Results:
Hyperlipidemia increased the hydrolyses of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), adenosine diphosphate (ADP), and adenosine monophosphate (AMP) in platelets. In heart cells, the metabolism of ATP and adenosine (ADO) were increased, while ADP hydrolysis was reduced. Additionally, lipid damage and antioxidant defenses were increased in heart homogenates. Hyperlipidemic rats also exhibited a reduced percentage of eosinophils and lymphocytes.
Conclusion:
Together, these findings are indicative of an increased risk of developing cardiovascular diseases in hyperlipidemic rats. The pretreatments with antioxidants reverted some of the changes prompted by hyperlipidemia preventing detrimental changes in the cells and tissues. Graphical Abstract.
