Study of platelet-mediated neurotoxicity in rat brain.

Abstract

Background and Purpose:The mechanism of ischemic neuronal injury is not fully resolved. The present view is that vascular occlusion per se does not fully account for the extent of neurological dysfunction. We previously hypothesized that platelet secretory products might contribute to neuronal injury in the central nervous system. Our preliminary studies using organotypic rat spinal cord cultures exposed to human platelet and its secretory products revealed that platelet products had neurotoxic properties.Methods: Further studies, using the same methods, were conducted, with the addition of several refinements such as use of gel-filtered platelets (as opposed to washed platelets) and adding additional relevant controls including platelet membranes, red blood cells, and washed rat platelets.Results

Neuroprotective Treatments for Ischemic Stroke: Opportunities for Nanotechnology

“…[ 172 ] However, studies about the toxicity of the released contents of the cells and cell membranes should be conducted to ensure the safety of the cell membrane‐coated drug carriers. It was reported that platelet cells contained and secreted many substances that could cause neuronal dysfunction, [ 173 ] thus the developments of platelet membrane coated‐nanocarriers should include the safety tests of the potential secretion of compounds that can contribute to neuronal injury. Hemoglobin in the red blood cells also had neurotoxicity to induce neuronal death after 24–48 h exposure while the short time exposure of 1–2 h showed no toxicity.…”

The ultrastructure of photochemically induced thrombi with embolization in a rat model.

“…"5,16 Although there is a significant body of evidence that points to embolism as the mechanism of infarct formation in this model,17 other mechanisms of tissue damage in the distal vasculature have been proposed. [18][19][20][21] To further characterize the local and distal vascular damage after photochemical irradiation of major vessels, with particular attention to evidence for embolization, we studied the surface features and ultrastructure of photochemically induced thrombi in the common carotid arteries of rats and of small vessels in the brain ipsilateral to the irradiated carotid artery, using both scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM).…”