Decreased thromboembolic stroke but not atherosclerosis or vascular remodelling in mice with ROCK2-deficient platelets.

ABSTRACT:

Aims

Rho-associated coiled-coil containing kinase (ROCK)-2 is an important mediator of the actin cytoskeleton. Because changes in the actin cytoskeleton are critical for platelet function, we hypothesized that ROCK2 in platelets will play important role in thrombosis and can be potentially a target for therapeutic intervention in thromboembolic stroke.

Methods and results

We generated platelet-specific ROCK2-deficient mice (ROCK2Plt-/-) from conditional ROCK2fl°x/fl°x and platelet factor (PF)-4-Cre transgenic mice. Platelets from ROCK2Plt-/- mice were less responsive to thrombin stimulation in terms of pseudopodia formation, collagen adhesion, and in the formation of homotypic and heterotypic aggregates. This corresponded to prolonged bleeding time and delayed vascular occlu

SUBMITTER: Sladojevic N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5852540 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature