J. Biol. Chem., Vol. 263, Issue 9, 4223-4227, 03, 1988
Protein kinase C enhances Ca2+ mobilization in human platelets by activating Na+/H+ exchange
W Siffert and JW Akkerman
Institut fur Physiologie, Ruhr-Universitat, Bochum, Federal Republic of Germany.
Control of cytoplasmic pH (pHi) by a Na+/H+ antiport appears a general
property of most eukaryotic cells. In human platelets activation of the
Na+/H+ exchanger enhances Ca2+ mobilization and aggregation induced by low
concentrations of thrombin (Siffert, W., and Akkerman, J. W. N. (1987)
Nature 325, 456-458). Several observations indicate that the exchanger is
regulated by protein kinase C. (i) Inhibitors of protein kinase C
(trifluoperazine, sphingosine) inhibit the increase in pHi seen during
thrombin stimulation as well as Ca2+ mobilization; artificially increasing
pHi by monensin or NH4Cl then restores Ca2+ mobilization. (ii) Direct
activation of protein kinase C by 1-oleoyl-2- acetylglycerol initiates an
increase in pHi that depends on the presence of extracellular Na+ and is
sensitive to inhibition by ethylisopropylamiloride. The pHi sensitivity of
thrombin-induced Ca2+ mobilization is particularly evident in the range
between pH 6.8 and 7.4 and at low thrombin concentrations, whereas thrombin
concentrations of more than 0.2 unit/ml bypass the pH sensitivity. In the
absence of thrombin an increase in pHi, either induced artificially (by
addition of the ionophores nigericin or monensin) or via activation of
protein kinase C (by addition of 1-oleoyl-2-acetylglycerol), does not
induce Ca2+ mobilization. We conclude that activation of protein kinase C
is essential for Ca2+ mobilization in platelets stimulated by low
concentrations of thrombin and that protein kinase C exerts this effect via
activation of the Na+/H+ exchanger.