Maria Cecilia Hospital, GVM Care & Research, 48033 Cotignola, Ravenna, Italy.
Department of Translational Medicine, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy.
Int J Mol Sci. 2022 Oct 19;23(20):12546. doi: 10.3390/ijms232012546.
Atherosclerosis (AS), the main cause of many cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), is a progressive inflammatory disease characterized by the accumulation of lipids, fibrous elements, and calcification in the innermost layers of arteries. The result is the thickening and clogging of these vessel walls. Several cell types are directly involved in the pathological progression of AS. Among them, platelets represent the link between AS, inflammation, and thrombosis. Indeed, besides their pivotal role in hemostasis and thrombosis, platelets are key mediators of inflammation at injury sites, where they act by regulating the function of other blood and vascular cell types, including endothelial cells (ECs), leukocytes, and vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). In recent years, increasing evidence has pointed to a central role of platelet-derived extracellular vesicles (P-EVs) in the modulation of AS pathogenesis. However, while the role of platelet-derived microparticles (P-MPs) has been significantly investigated in recent years, the same cannot be said for platelet-derived exosomes (P-EXOs). For this reason, this reviews aims at summarizing the isolation methods and biological characteristics of P-EXOs, and at discussing their involvement in intercellular communication in the pathogenesis of AS. Evidence showing how P-EXOs and their cargo can be used as biomarkers for AS is also presented in this review.
动脉粥样硬化（AS）是许多心血管疾病（CVDs）的主要原因，是一种以动脉内层脂质、纤维元素和钙化的积累为特征的进行性炎症性疾病。其结果是这些血管壁的增厚和堵塞。几种细胞类型直接参与 AS 的病理进展。其中，血小板代表 AS、炎症和血栓形成之间的联系。事实上，血小板除了在止血和血栓形成中发挥关键作用外，还是损伤部位炎症的关键介质，通过调节其他血液和血管细胞类型（包括内皮细胞[ECs]、白细胞和血管平滑肌细胞[VSMCs]）的功能来发挥作用。近年来，越来越多的证据表明血小板衍生的细胞外囊泡（P-EVs）在调节 AS 发病机制中起核心作用。然而，虽然近年来对血小板衍生的微粒（P-MPs）的作用进行了大量研究，但对血小板衍生的外泌体（P-EXOs）却并非如此。出于这个原因，本综述旨在总结 P-EXOs 的分离方法和生物学特征，并讨论它们在 AS 发病机制中的细胞间通讯中的作用。本综述还介绍了表明 P-EXOs 及其货物如何可用作 AS 生物标志物的证据。
