Regular article
Vascular biology, atherosclerosis, and endothelium biology
Ectonucleotide Triphosphate Diphosphohydrolase-1 (CD39) Mediates Resistance to Occlusive Arterial Thrombus Formation after Vascular Injury in Mice

Presented in part at the American Heart Association Scientific Session, November 12–16, 2011, Orlando, FL.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajpath.2012.03.024Get rights and content
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Modulation of purinergic signaling, which is critical for vascular homeostasis and the response to vascular injury, is regulated by hydrolysis of proinflammatory ATP and/or ADP by ectonucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolase 1 (ENTPD-1; CD39) to AMP, which then is hydrolyzed by ecto-5′-nucleotidase (CD73) to adenosine. We report here that compared with littermate controls (wild type), transgenic mice expressing human ENTPDase-1 were resistant to the formation of an occlusive thrombus after FeCl3-induced carotid artery injury. Treatment of mice with the nonhydrolyzable ADP analog, adenosine-5′-0-(2-thiodiphosphate) trilithium salt, Ado-5′-PP[S], negated the protection from thrombosis, consistent with a role for ADP in platelet recruitment and thrombus formation. ENTPD-1 expression decreased whole-blood aggregation after stimulation by ADP, an effect negated by adenosine-5′-0-(2-thiodiphosphate) trilithium salt, Ado-5′-PP[S] stimulation, and limited the ability to maintain the platelet fibrinogen receptor, glycoprotein αIIb3, in a fully activated state, which is critical for thrombus formation. In vivo treatment with a CD73 antagonist, a nonselective adenosine-receptor antagonist, or a selective A2A or A2B adenosine-receptor antagonist, negated the resistance to thrombosis in transgenic mice expressing human ENTPD-1, suggesting a role for adenosine generation and engagement of adenosine receptors in conferring in vivo resistance to occlusive thrombosis in this model. In summary, our findings identify ENTPDase-1 modulation of purinergic signaling as a key determinant of the formation of an occlusive thrombus after vascular injury.

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Supported by NIH, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute grants HL094703 and HL096038 (R.J.G.), an American Heart Association-Great Rivers Affiliate Student Undergraduate Research Fellowship grant 10UFEL4180090 (Z.M.H.), and the Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute and Ross Academic Advisory Committee (R.J.G.).

Z.M.H., M.W.M., and M.S.N. contributed equally to this work.