Platelets and Their Factors

Platelets playa fundamental, life-saving role in hemostasis and blood clotting at sites of vascular injury. Unwanted platelet activation and arterial thombus formation are, however, implicated in the onset of myocardial infarction, stroke, and other cardiovascular diseases. Acceptance that platelets play a major role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis including coronary heart disease has revolutionized the pharmacological treatment of cardiovascular diseases, and aspirin is now an essential antiplatelet drug and the golden standard for future developments. Yet the search for better and perhaps safer antiplatelet drugs is one of the most active areas of investigation in both basic and clinical research. Platelets, especially human platelets, have also emerged as one of the major models for the study of inter- and intracellular signal transduction pathways. Many biochemists, cell biologists, pharmacologists, pathologists, hematologists, and cardiologists find platelets useful for studying processes such as adhesion, inside-out and outside-in signalling through the plasma membrane, channels, calcium homeostasis, protein kinases, the network of intracellular signal transduction cascades, and the release of vasoactive substances. The aim of the editors has been to compile chapters summarizing the current state-of-the-art information on the biochemistry, cell biology, pharmacology, and physiologic and pathophysiologic roles of human platelets. We hope that this volume represents the major aspects of current platelet research although it is perhaps inevitable that certain areas are covered less thoroughly than others. We would like to acknowledge the excellent help and support of the Springer-Verlag staff, in particular that of Ms. Doris Walker.

With contributions by numerous experts

Springer Book Archives

Section I: Platelet Development, Morphology and Physiology.- 1 Megakaryocytopoiesis: The Megakaryocyte/Platelet Haemostatic Axis.- 2 Human Platelet Morphology/Ultrastructure.- 3 Platelet Adhesion.- 4 Platelet Aggregation.- Section II: Platelet Biochemistry, Signal Transduction.- 5 Platelet Receptors: The Thrombin Receptor.- 6 Platelet ADP/Purinergic Receptors.- 7 Platelet Prostaglandin Receptors.- 8 Platelet Adhesion and Aggregation Receptors.- 9 Platelet G Proteins and Adenylyl and Guanylyl Cyclases.- 10 Platelet Phosphodiesterases.- 11 Platelet Phospholipases C and D.- 12 Protein Kinase C and Its Interactions with Other Serine-Threonine Kinases.- 13 Platelet Protein Tyrosine Kinases.- 14 Protein Phosphatases in Platelet Function.- 15 Ca2+ Homeostasis in Human Platelets.- 16 Regulation of Platelet Function by Nitric Oxide and Other Nitrogen- and Oxygen-Derived Reactive Species.- 17 Platelet 5-Hydroxytryptamine Transporters.- Section III: Platelet-Derived Factors.- 18 Dense Granule Factors.- 19 Protein Granule Factors.- 20 Lysosomal Storage.- 21 Thromboxane A2 and Other Eicosanoids.- 22 Platelet-Activating Factor: Biosynthesis, Biodegradation, Actions.- 23 Qualitative and Quantitative Assessment of Platelet Activating Factors.- 24 Biosynthetic Inhibitors and Receptor Antagonists to Platelet Activating Factor.- Section IV: Clinical Aspects of Platelets and Their Factors.- 25 Platelets and the Vascular System: Atherosclerosis, Thrombosis, Myocardial Infarction.- 26 Platelets, Vessel Wall, and the Coagulation System.- 27 Platelet Flow Cytometry - Adhesive Proteins.- 28 Pathological Aspects of Platelet-Activating Factor (PAF).- 29 Therapeutic Aspects of Platelet Pharmacology.