Purpose: Septic shock-induced disseminated intravascular coagulopathy (DIC) contributes to multiple organ failure. Mechanisms governing vascular responses to open occurrence of DIC have not yet been established. Circulating plasma microparticles (MPs), released upon cell stress, constitute a catalytic procoagulant surface and are surrogates of vascular cell activation/injury.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFOxidative stress results in deleterious cell function in pathologies associated with inflammation. Here, we investigated the generation of superoxide anion as well as the anti-oxidant defense systems related to the isoforms of superoxide dismutases (SOD) in cystic fibrosis (CF) cells. Pro-apoptotic agents induced apoptosis in CF but not in control cells that was reduced by treatment with SOD mimetic.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPlasma membrane remodeling characterized by phosphatidylserine exposure and consecutive microparticle (MP) shedding is an ubiquitous process enabling the clearance of senescent cells and the maintenance of tissue homeostasis. MPs are released as fragments from the budding plasma membrane of virtually all eukaryotic cell types undergoing stimulation or apoptosis and may be considered a broad primitive response to stress. MP release is dependent on cytoskeleton degradation pathways involving caspases, requires a sustained increase in intracellular calcium triggering K+ and Cl- efflux and is possibly tuned by mitochondria permeability changes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFront Biosci (Landmark Ed)
June 2011
Microparticles (MPs) are submicron vesicles released from stimulated or apoptotic cells after plasma membrane remodeling. In body fluids, they constitute relevant hallmarks of cell damage. Having long been considered inert debris reflecting cellular activation or damage, MPs are now considered as cellular effectors involved in cell-cell crosstalk.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF