Triflavin, an Arg-Gly-Asp-containing peptide, inhibits tumor cell-induced platelet aggregation

In this study, we examined the effect of triflavin, an Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD)-containing snake venom peptide, on human cervical carcinoma (HeLa) cell- and B16-F10 mouse melanoma cell-induced platelet aggregation (TCIPA) in heparinized platelet-rich plasma. TCIPA appears to play an important role in the development of certain experimental tumor metastases. Two ADP-scavenging agents, apyrase (10 U/ml) and creatine phosphate (CP) (5 mM)/creatine phosphokinase (CPK) (5 U/ml) completely inhibited B16-F10 TCIPA, but hirudin (5 U/ml) had no effect. In contrast, apyrase and CP/CPK did not inhibit HeLa TCIPA while hirudin completely inhibited it. Furthermore, HeLa cells initially induced platelet aggregation and then blood coagulation at a later stage. In addition, HeLa cells shortened, in a concentration-dependent manner, the recalcification time of normal as well as factor VIII- and IX-deficient human plasma, but did not affect the recalcification time of factor VII-deficient plasma. This suggests that HeLa TCIPA occurs via activation of the extrinsic pathway, probably owing to tumor cell expression of tissue factor-like activity. HeLa cell-induced thrombin generation was confirmed by detection of amidolytic activity towards a chromogenic substrate, S-2238 (H-D-Phe-Pip-Arg-p-NA). Triflavin and GRGDS inhibited, in a dose-dependent manner, TCIPA caused by either cell line. On a molar basis, triflavin was 10,000-30,000 times more potent than GRGDS in this regard. Moreover, monoclonal antibodies raised against glycoprotein (GP) IIb/IIIa complex (i.e., 7E3 and AP2) and against GP Ib (i.e., AP1) completely inhibited HeLa TCIPA. 7E3 and AP2 inhibited B16-F10 TCIPA by up to 80% whereas AP1 showed only 30% inhibition of B16-F10 TCIPA. In conclusion, the inhibitory effect of triflavin on HeLa and B16-F10 TCIPA may be mediated principally by the binding of triflavin to the fibrinogen receptor associated with GP IIb/IIIa complex on the platelet surface. However, GP Ib is also involved in HeLa TCIPA as thrombin formation is the key factor in triggering platelet aggregation caused by HeLa cells.