Mitochondria push platelets past their prime

摘要

Historical roles for platelet mitochondria have been limited to supplying energy for aggregation and secretion. This view, however, continues to be refined and advanced as new functions for this old or-ganelle emerge. It is now well accepted that mitochondria contribute to apoptosis, a process associated with cell death in nucleated cells and recently ascribed to platelets.. Mitochondrial membrane potential (DELTAPSIm) is reduced in platelets that display apoptotic features, and perturbations in the DELTAPSIm have been observed in subsets of activated platelets that have high procoagulant activity. Although a reproducible phenomenon, it is generally surmised that compromises in mitochondrial integrity are the consequence of irreversible platelet activation that culminates in cell death