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. 2022 Jan 27;11(3):666. doi: 10.3390/jcm11030666

Figure 1.

Figure 1

Figure illustrating the influence of taurine and its derivatives (T) on various processes involved in platelet activation and aggregation. The proposed mechanisms of action (indicated by red arrows) are the following: 1. T inhibits platelet aggregation triggered by collagen, which is a strong platelet activator, but also an adhesion surface, being responsible for platelet adhesion (a); 2. T inhibits platelet activation and secretion (b) and consequently the process of platelet aggregation (c) by: (1) controlling intracellular calcium concentration-[Ca2+]ic (limiting the calcium influx and suppressing the intraplatelet calcium (Ca2+) response to activating agonists); (2) down-regulating a growth modulator, β-thromboglobulin (β-TG) and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) release response to agonists, as markers of discharge from alpha and dense platelet granules; (3) decreasing the platelet cyclooxygenase activity and the platelet thromboxane A2 (TxA2) production; (4) suppressing platelet aggregation triggered by various agonists, such as adenosine diphosphate (ADP), thrombin, epinephrine, or platelet activation factor (PAF); (5) increasing of the endothelial nitric oxide (NO) release and prostacyclin (PgI2) production and decreasing TxA2 release. Other used abbreviations: GP—glycoprotein; vWF—von Willebrand factor; FBG—fibrinogen; PLC—phospholipase C; PIP2 (membr)—phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate from platelet plasmalemma; IP3—inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate; DAG—1,2-diacylglycerol; PKC—protein kinase C; DG—dense granule; AG—alfa-granule; 5-HT—5-hydroxytryptamine; PAF-R—PAF receptor; PAR1,4—protease-activated receptor-1 and -4; P2Y1—purinergic receptor 2Y1; P2Y12—purinergic receptor 2Y12; IP—prostacyclin receptor; TP—TxA2 receptor; α2 A-AR—alpha 2A adrenergic receptor; AC—adenylyl cyclase; cAMP—cyclic adenosine monophosphate; GC—guanylate cyclase; cGMP—cyclic guanosine monophosphate; PLA—phospholipase A; ArAc—arachidonic acid; COX—cyclooxygenase; PgG2—prostaglandin G2; PgH2—prostaglandin H2; (+) on the arrow represents up-regulation, (−) on the arrow represents down-regulation.