We previously reported that ultraviolet light B (UVB)-treated human platelets (hPLTs) can cause acute lung injury (ALI) in a two-event SCID mouse model in which the predisposing event was Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) injection and the second event was infusion of UVB-treated hPLTs. To delineate contributions of host mouse platelets (mPLTs) and neutrophils in the pathogenesis of ALI in this mouse model, we depleted mPLTs or neutrophils and measured hPLT accumulation in the lung. We also assessed lung injury by protein content in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). LPS injection followed by infusion of UVB-treated hPLTs resulted in sequestration of both mPLTs and hPLTs in the lungs of SCID mice, although the numbers of neutrophils in the lung were not significantly different from the control group. Depletion of mouse neutrophils caused only a mild reduction in UVB-hPLTs accumulation in the lungs and a mild reduction in protein content in BALF. In comparison, depletion of mPLTs almost completely abolished hPLTs accumulation in the lung and significantly reduced protein content in BALF. UVB-treated hPLTs bound to host mPLTs, but did not bind to neutrophils in the lung. Aspirin treatment of hPLTs in vitro abolished hPLT accumulation in the lung and protected mice from lung injury. Our data indicate that host mPLTs accumulated in the lungs in response to an inflammatory challenge and subsequently mediated the attachment of transfused UVB-hPLTs. Neutrophils also recruited a small percentage of platelets to the lung. These findings may help develop therapeutic strategies for ALI which could potentially result from transfusion of UV illuminated platelets.

Reliance on volunteer blood donors can lead to transfusion product shortages, and current liquid storage of red blood cells (RBCs) is associated with biochemical changes over time, known as 'the storage lesion'. Thus, there is a need for alternative sources of transfusable RBCs to supplement conventional blood donations. Extracorporeal production of stem cell-derived RBCs (stemRBCs) is a potential and yet untapped source of fresh, transfusable RBCs. A number of groups have attempted RBC differentiation from CD34+ cells. However, it is still unclear whether these stemRBCs could eventually be effective substitutes for traditional RBCs due to potential differences in oxygen carrying capacity, viability, deformability, and other critical parameters. We have generated ex vivo stemRBCs from primary human cord blood CD34+ cells and compared them to donor-derived RBCs based on a number of in vitro parameters. In vivo, we assessed stemRBC circulation kinetics in an animal model of transfusion and oxygen delivery in a mouse model of exercise performance. Our novel, chronically anemic, SCID mouse model can evaluate the potential of stemRBCs to deliver oxygen to tissues (muscle) under resting and exercise-induced hypoxic conditions. Based on our data, stem cell-derived RBCs have a similar biochemical profile compared to donor-derived RBCs. While certain key differences remain between donor-derived RBCs and stemRBCs, the ability of stemRBCs to deliver oxygen in a living organism provides support for further development as a transfusion product.

Sepsis is often accompanied with thrombocytopenia partly due to platelet sequestration in the lung and liver. The spleen can store up to one-third of circulating platelets and can also significantly affect platelet transfusion outcomes by accumulating platelets. However, in sepsis, it is not clear whether there are platelet changes in the spleen which could contribute to sepsis-associated thrombocytopenia and also influence platelet transfusion outcomes. By using confocal microscopy, we examined endogenous rat platelets and infused human platelets in the spleen of severe combined immune deficient Rag2 KO rats which were injected intraperitoneally with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). LPS-injected Rag2 KO rats developed sepsis as indicated by increased TNFa, IL-6, IL-1b, and IL-10 levels and thrombocytopenia. Large platelet aggregates were observed in the spleen with majority located in the marginal zone and closely associated with CD169+ macrophages. Depletion of macrophages by clodrosome resulted in reduction of LPS-induced cytokine generation and alleviated LPS-induced thrombocytopenia. Macrophage depletion also remarkedly diminished large platelet aggregate formation in the splenic marginal zone but had less effect on those in red pulp. Infusion of human platelets into LPS-injected rats failed to raise platelet counts in the peripheral blood. In LPS-injected rat spleen, human platelets interacted with aggregated rat platelets in the marginal zone. In contrast, human platelets infused into control rats were located outside of splenic marginal zone. This study provides morphological evidence of platelet aggregates in the splenic marginal zone in sepsis which can interact with infused platelets and thus can contribute to platelet infusion refractoriness in sepsis. It indicates that macrophages play an important role in LPS-associated thrombocytopenia. It also suggests that CD169+ macrophages support platelet aggregate formation in the splenic marginal zone.

Elevated plasma counts of endothelial microparticles (MP) have been demonstrated in various diseases with a vascular injury component. We used flow cytometry to study the MP-release from cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) stimulated by various agonists. MP-release by a topoisomerase I inhibitor camptothecin has been studied in detail.

UV-based pathogen reduction technologies have been developed in recent years to inactivate pathogens and contaminating leukocytes in platelet transfusion products in order to prevent transfusion-transmitted infections and alloimmunization. UVC-based technology differs from UVA or UVB-based technologies in that it uses a specific wavelength at 254 nm without the addition of any photosensitizers. Previously, it was reported that UVC irradiation induces platelet aggregation and activation. To understand if UVC-induced changes of platelet quality correlate with potential adverse events when these platelets are transfused into animals, we used a 2-event SCID mouse model in which the predisposing event was LPS treatment and the second event was infusion of UVC-irradiated platelets. We analyzed lung platelet accumulation, protein content in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid as an indication of lung injury, and macrophage inflammatory protein-2 (MIP-2) release in mice received UVC-irradiated or untreated control platelets. Our results showed UVC-irradiated platelets accumulated in lungs of the mice in a dose-dependent manner. High-doses of UVC-irradiated platelets were sequestered in the lungs to a similar level as we previously reported for UVB-irradiated platelets. Unlike UVB-platelets, UVC-platelets did not lead to lung injury or induce MIP-2 release. This could potentially be explained by our observation that although UVC treatment activated platelet surface αIIbβ3, it failed to activate platelet cells. It also suggests lung platelet accumulation and subsequent lung damage are due to different and separate mechanisms which require further investigation.

Prion protein is a glycosyl-phosphatidyl-inositol anchored glycoprotein localized on the surface and within a variety of cells. Its conformation change is thought to be essential for the proliferation of prion neurodegenerative diseases. Using the yeast two-hybrid assay we identified an interaction between prion protein and clusterin, a chaperone glycoprotein. This interaction was confirmed in a mammalian system by in vivo co-immunoprecipitation and in vitro by circular dichroism analysis. Through deletion mapping analysis we demonstrated that the alpha subunit, but not the beta subunit, of clusterin binds to prion and that the C-terminal 62 amino acid segment of the putative alpha helix region of clusterin is essential for the binding interaction. The full prion protein as well as the N-terminal section (aa 23-95) and C-terminal (aa 96-231) were shown to interact with clusterin. These findings provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms of interaction between prion and clusterin protein and contribute to the understanding of prion protein's physiological function.

Platelets for transfusion are stored at room temperature (20-24°C) up to 7 days but decline in biochemical and morphological parameters during storage and can support bacterial proliferation. This decline is reduced with p38MAPK inhibitor, VX-702. Storage of platelets in the cold (4-6°C) can reduce bacterial proliferation but platelets get activated and have reduced circulation when transfused. Thermocycling (cold storage with brief periodic warm ups) reduces some of the effects of cold storage. We evaluated in vitro properties and in vivo circulation in SCID mouse model of human platelet transfusion of platelets stored in cold or thermocycled for 14 days with and without VX-702. Apheresis platelet units (N = 15) were each aliquoted into five storage bags and stored under different conditions: room temperature; cold temperature; thermocycled temperature; cold temperature with VX-702; thermocycled temperature with VX-702. Platelet in vitro parameters were evaluated at 1, 7 and 14 days. On day 14, platelets were infused into SCID mice to assess their retention in circulation by flow cytometry. VX-702 reduced negative platelet parameters associated with cold and thermocycled storage such as an increase in expression of activation markers CD62, CD63 and of phosphatidylserine (marker of apoptosis measured by Annexin binding) and lowered the rise in lactate (marker of increase in anaerobic metabolism). However, VX-702 did not inhibit agonist-induced platelet aggregation indicating that it does not interfere with platelet hemostatic function. In vivo, VX-702 improved initial recovery and area under the curve in circulation of human platelets infused into a mouse model that has been previously validated against a human platelet infusion clinical trial. In conclusion, inhibition of p38MAPK during 14-days platelet storage in cold or thermocycling conditions improved in vitro platelet parameters and platelet circulation in the mouse model indicating that VX-702 may improve cell physiology and clinical performance of human platelets stored in cold conditions.