Skip to main content
PMC home page
The American Journal of Pathology logoLink to The American Journal of Pathology
. 1977 Jun;87(3):633–646.

The Influence of Reserpine and Ethylenediaminetetraacetic Acid (EDTA) on Serotonin Storage Organelles of Blood Platelets

Jonathan M Gerrard, Gundu H R Rao, James G White
PMCID: PMC2032131  PMID: 405872

Abstract

The present investigation has evaluated the influence of reserpine on the serotonin-rich organelles bodies) in platelets from dogs, rabbits, and humans. Reserpine markedly depresses the levels of stored serotonin in human and animal platelets, accompanied by a small decrease in platelet ATP but no change in platelet ADP content. Thin sections of human platelets showed no change in the number or morphology of serotonin storage organelles during reserpine therapy, whereas a profound decrease in the size and number of dense bodies occurred in platelets from rabbits treated with reserpine. Dog platelets also showed a decrease in the number and density of serotonin storage organelles after reserpine therapy. The basis for the difference between rabbit and human platelets was explored by fixing platelets in glutaraldehyde and osmium in the presence or absence of the chelating agent ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA). Most of the dense bodies in fixed human platelets were removed by EDTA while rabbit platelet dense bodies remained essentially intact. The results suggested that the opacity of rabbit platelet dense bodies following fixation with glutaraldehyde and osmium relate primarily to their serotonin content, while the electron density of human serotonin storage organelles in fixed cells is due primarily to their calcium content. Further confirmation of this concept came from studies of platelets using the whole mount technique. Rabbit platelet serotonin storage organelles were found to lack the inherent opacity of the human dense bodies, a finding consistent with the lower concentration of calcium in the rabbit organelles.

Full text

PDF
640

Images in this article

643Figures 1A-D
on p.643
643Figure 2
on p.643
645Figure 3
on p.645
645Figure 4
on p.645
646Figures 5 and 6
on p.646
646Figure 7
on p.646
646Figure 8
on p.646

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Bak I. J., Hassler R., May B., Westermann E. Morphological and biochemical studies on the storage of serotonin and histamine in blood platelets of the rabbit. Life Sci. 1967 Jun 1;6(11):1133–1146. doi: 10.1016/0024-3205(67)90195-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Da Prada M., Pletscher A., Tranzer J. P., Knuchel H. Subcellular localization of 5-hydroxytryptamine and histamine in blood platelets. Nature. 1967 Dec 30;216(5122):1315–1317. doi: 10.1038/2161315a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Davis R. B., White J. G. Localization of 5-hydroxytryptamine in blood platelets: an autoradiographic and ultrastructural study. Br J Haematol. 1968 Jul;15(1):93–99. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2141.1968.tb01515.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Etcheverry G. J., Zieher L. M. Cytochemistry of 5-hydroxytryptamine at the electron microscope level. I. Study of the specificity of the reaction in isolated blood platelets. J Histochem Cytochem. 1968 Mar;16(3):162–171. doi: 10.1177/16.3.162. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Gerrard J. M., White J. G., Rao G. H., Krivit W., Witkop C. J., Jr Labile aggregation stimulating substance (LASS): the factor from storage pool deficient platelets correcting defective aggregation and release of aspirin treated normal platelets. Br J Haematol. 1975 Apr;29(4):657–665. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2141.1975.tb02751.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Gerrard J. M., White J. G. The influence of aspirin and indomethacin on the platelet contractile wave. Am J Pathol. 1976 Mar;82(3):513–526. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Lages B., Scrutton M. C., Holmsen H., Day H. J., Weiss H. J. Metal ion contents of gel-filtered platelets from patients with storage pool disease. Blood. 1975 Jul;46(1):119–130. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Martin J. H., Carson F. L., Race G. J. Calcium-containing platelet granules. J Cell Biol. 1974 Mar;60(3):775–777. doi: 10.1083/jcb.60.3.775. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. May B., Bak I. J., Böhle E., Hassler R. Electron microscopical and biochemical studies on the serotonin granules in carcinoid syndrome. Life Sci. 1968 Aug 15;7(16):785–800. doi: 10.1016/0024-3205(68)90109-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Pletscher A., Tranzer J. P. Action of reserpine and imipramine on intracellular storage of 5-hydroxytryptamine in blood platelets. Experientia. 1967 Apr 15;23(4):289–291. doi: 10.1007/BF02135693. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. RAND M., REID G. Source of 'serotonin' in serum. Nature. 1951 Sep 1;168(4270):385–385. doi: 10.1038/168385b0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Rao G. H., White J. G., Jachimowicz A. A., Witkop C. J. An improved method for the extraction of endogenous platelet serotonin. J Lab Clin Med. 1976 Jan;87(1):129–137. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Skaer R. J., Peters P. D., Emmines J. P. The localization of calcium and phosphorus in human platelets. J Cell Sci. 1974 Aug;15(3):679–682. doi: 10.1242/jcs.15.3.679. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Spicer S. S., Greene W. B., Hardin J. H. Ultrastructural localization of acid mucosubstance and antimonate-precipitable cation in human and rabbit platelets and megakaryocytes. J Histochem Cytochem. 1969 Dec;17(12):781–792. doi: 10.1177/17.12.781. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Tranzer J. P., Da Prada M., Pletscher A. Electron microscopic study of the storage site of 5-hydroxytryptamine in blood platelets. Adv Pharmacol. 1968;6(Pt A):125–128. doi: 10.1016/s1054-3589(08)61164-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. White J. G., Davis R. B. Alterations of platelet ultrastructure in patients with carcinoid syndrome. Am J Pathol. 1969 Sep;56(3):519–531. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. White J. G. Fine structural alterations induced in platelets by adenosine diphosphate. Blood. 1968 May;31(5):604–622. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. White J. G. The dense bodies of human platelets: inherent electron opacity of the serotonin storage particles. Blood. 1969 Apr;33(4):598–606. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. White J. G. The substructure of human platelet microtubules. Blood. 1968 Oct;32(4):638–648. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Wood J. G. Electron microscopic localization of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5HT). Tex Rep Biol Med. 1965 Winter;23(4):828–837. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. da Prada M., Tranzer J. P., Pletscher A. Effect of drugs and cations on ultrastructure and 5-hydroxytryptamine content of blood platelets. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 1967 Dec;158(3):394–398. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from The American Journal of Pathology are provided here courtesy of American Society for Investigative Pathology

RESOURCES