Effect of the purified phospholipases A2 from snake and bee venoms on rabbit platelet function

Effects of seven purified phospholipases A2 from the venoms of snakes (Naja naja atra, Trimeresurus mucrosquamatus and T. gramineus) and honey bee (Apis mellifera) on rabbit washed platelet suspension in the absence of bovine serum albumin have been studied. Only phospholipases A2 from N. n. atra, T. mucrosquamatus and A. mellifera venoms induced platelet aggregation with small amounts of 14C-serotonin release. They showed tachyphylaxis and also cross-tachyphylaxis in inducing platelet aggregation. The former two phospholipases A2 exhibited biphasic responses in which irreversible aggregations appeared at concentrations of 1-10 micrograms/ml. At higher concentrations, they elicited the reversible aggregation. Exogenous Ca2+ was essential to their activity. Indomethacin and EDTA completely abolished both phospholipase A2 induced platelet shape change and aggregation, while mepacrine, prostaglandin E1, verapamil and nitroprusside inhibited only the aggregation response. p-Bromophenacyl bromide-modified phospholipases A2, which almost completely lost enzymatic activity, failed to induce platelet aggregation. Phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylinositol inhibited the phospholipase A2-induced platelet aggregation. These phospholipases A2 induced thromboxane B2 formation which was inhibited by EDTA and indomethacin, but not by prostaglandin E1. Pre-treatment of platelet suspension with phospholipase A2 from N. n. atra or A. mellifera venom (50 micrograms/ml) inhibited platelet aggregation induced by sodium arachidonate or collagen, but not that induced by thrombin or ionophore A-23187. Exogenous sodium arachidonate or lysophosphatidylcholine also showed unaltered inhibitory spectrum on platelet aggregation. It is concluded that phospholipases A2 induce platelet aggregation by virtue of their enzymatic activity, cleaving the membrane phospholipids resulting in arachidonic acid release and formation of thromboxane A2. On the other hand, the cleaved products, lysophosphatidylcholine, arachidonic acid or arachidonate metabolites (via lipoxygenase pathway) may be responsible for anti-platelet activity.