INCREASED AGGREGATION AND SECRETION RESPONSES OF HUMAN PLATELETS WHEN LOADED WITH THE CALCIUM FLUORESCENT PROBES QUIN2 AND FURA-2

Incubation of human platelets with the fluorescent dye esters quin2-AM (10 _μM) or fura-2-AM (1 _μM) makes possible the direct measurement of intracellular free calcium ([Ca²⁺1).Underthese conditions, basal levels of [Ca²⁺]_i of 120 ± 16 nM (n=23) using quin2 and 137 ± 15 nM (n=5) using fura-2 can be measured. Both probes record comparable increases of [Ca² ]_i after stimulation with ADP, thrombin, PAF, or U-46619. Incorporation into human platelets of quin2 or fura-2 at the concentrations used to monitor [Ca²⁺]_i leads to the activation of platelets. This was shown by increased aggregation and secretion responses of quin2or fura-2 loaded platelets after stimulationwith ADP (5 μM), PAF (1 μM) and with low concentrations of thrombin (0.015U/ml), collagen (0.5 μg/ml), the endoperoxide analog U-46619 (0.5 μM) or the calcium ionophore A 23187 (1 μM). Quin2 and fura-2 mediated platelet activation could be due to altered arachidonic acid metabolism, since it was partly inhibited by prior treatment with the cyclooxygenase inhibitor acetylsalicylate (1 μM). In contrast, platelets loaded with higher concentrations of calcium chelators (20 to 100 μM quin2-AM)exhibited diminished aggregation responses to all aggregating agents. Thislatter effectwas accompanied by increased fluidity of theplatelet plasma membrane bilayer and by the exposure of a new pool of membranes at the outer surface of platelets, as monitored withtrimethylammonium-diphenylhexatriene (TMA-DPH) in platelets loaded with thenon-fluorescent calcium probe analog MAPT. Platelet shape change, as measured in the aggregometer, was dose-dependently inhibited after loading of quin2 (10-50 μM quin2-AM), even at concentrations which potentiated aggregation. We conclude that incorporation of intracellular calcium chelators alters platelet responses, including at concentrations used to monitor intracellular calcium changes.