Guichardant M, Michel M, Borel C, Fay L, Magnolato D, Finot P A
Nestec Ltd, Nestle Research Centre, Vers-chez-les-Blanc, Lausanne, Switzerland.
Thromb Res. 1992 Mar 15;65(6):687-98. doi: 10.1016/0049-3848(92)90108-m.
An acetylenic fatty acid: 9,12,15-octadecatrien-6-ynoic acid (dicranin) was extracted from Dicranum Scoparium and preincubated with platelets which were then stimulated by exogenous arachidonic acid (20:4 n-6). This molecule at 10(-4) M weakly inhibited the cyclooxygenase activity as assessed by measurement of 12-hydroxy-heptadecatrienoic acid (HHT) In contrast, the 12-hydroxy-eicosatetraenoic acid (12-HETE) synthesized by the 12-lipoxygenase was strongly increased by about 650%. The same effects were observed with 10(-5) M and with 10(-6) M of dicranin but to a lesser extent. Platelet hydroxylated dicranin metabolites were also found and the structure of the main compound determined by GC-MS was a 13-hydroxy derivative. Its origin has not yet been elucidated. Platelet aggregation induced by 1 microgram/ml of U46619, a structural PGH2 analogue was completely abolished in the presence of dicranin. Platelet aggregation induced either by thrombin or by arachidonic acid was inhibited by 10(-4) M of dicranin only after preincubation. This observation indicates that the formation of metabolites of dicranin are necessary to effect this inhibition. Dicranin is thus a new inhibitor of platelet aggregation and may prove to be useful for elucidating the effects of 12-HETE in biological systems.
