A Potential Mechanism of High-Dose Ticagrelor in Modulating Platelet Activity and Atherosclerosis Mediated by Thymic Stromal Lymphopoietin Receptor

PLoS One. 2015 Oct 30;10(10):e0141464. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0141464. eCollection 2015.

Abstract

Abnormal expression of thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) and its receptor (TSLPR) was found in patients with acute coronary syndrome. Ticagrelor, an oral platelet ADP P2Y12 receptor antagonist, is widely used in these patients. The aim of this study was to verify whether different doses of ticagrelor regulated plaque progression and platelet activity by modulating TSLP/TSLPR. Seventy-five ApoE-/- mice were randomly divided into five groups: (1) high-cholesterol diet (HCD, n = 15); (2) HCD plus ticagrelor 25 mg/kg/d (T1, n = 15); (3) HCD plus ticagrelor 50 mg/kg/d (T2, n = 15); (4) HCD plus ticagrelor 100 mg/kg/d (T3, n = 15); and (5) a normal diet group (ND, n = 15). At day 0 and at week 16, blood lipids and serum TSLP levels, expression of TSLPR, CD62, and CD63, platelet aggregation, platelet ATP release, PI3K/Akt signaling pathway, and plaque morphology were assessed. HCD increased TSLPR expression and atherosclerosis progression but high-dose ticagrelor (100 mg/kg) moderated this trend. TSLPR was positively correlated with Akt1, platelet aggregation, corrected plaque area, and vulnerability index in the T3 group (P<0.01). In conclusion, low-dose ticagrelor only inhibited platelet activity. Besides this inhibition, high-dose ticagrelor modulated platelet activity and atherosclerosis mediated by TSLPR, potentially through the PI3K/Akt signal pathway.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adenosine / administration & dosage
  • Adenosine / analogs & derivatives*
  • Adenosine / pharmacology
  • Animals
  • Aorta / metabolism
  • Aorta / pathology
  • Apolipoproteins E / deficiency
  • Atherosclerosis / blood
  • Atherosclerosis / drug therapy*
  • Atherosclerosis / prevention & control
  • Cholesterol, Dietary / toxicity
  • Cytokines / blood
  • Cytokines / physiology*
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Hyperlipoproteinemia Type II / blood
  • Hyperlipoproteinemia Type II / complications
  • Hyperlipoproteinemia Type II / drug therapy
  • Immunoglobulins / biosynthesis
  • Immunoglobulins / drug effects*
  • Immunoglobulins / physiology
  • Lipids / blood
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mice, Knockout
  • P-Selectin / analysis
  • Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / physiology
  • Platelet Aggregation / drug effects*
  • Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors / administration & dosage
  • Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors / pharmacology*
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / biosynthesis
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / genetics
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / physiology
  • Purinergic P2Y Receptor Antagonists / administration & dosage
  • Purinergic P2Y Receptor Antagonists / pharmacology*
  • Random Allocation
  • Receptors, Cytokine / biosynthesis
  • Receptors, Cytokine / drug effects*
  • Receptors, Cytokine / physiology
  • Signal Transduction / drug effects
  • Tetraspanin 30 / blood
  • Thymic Stromal Lymphopoietin
  • Ticagrelor

Substances

  • Apolipoproteins E
  • Cd63 protein, mouse
  • Cholesterol, Dietary
  • Cytokines
  • Immunoglobulins
  • Lipids
  • P-Selectin
  • Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors
  • Purinergic P2Y Receptor Antagonists
  • Receptors, Cytokine
  • Tetraspanin 30
  • Tslpr protein, mouse
  • Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases
  • Akt1 protein, mouse
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt
  • Ticagrelor
  • Adenosine
  • Thymic Stromal Lymphopoietin
  • TSLP protein, mouse

Grants and funding

This study was supported by a grant from the Hubei province Natural Science Foundation of China (2013CFB070 to Yudong Peng).