Inhibitory Effect of Hexapeptide (RGRHGD) on Platelet Aggregation

Abstract The B chain of β-bungarotoxin 1–6 sequence, RGRHGD, presents the highest local average hydrophilicity measured by Kyte and Doolittle modeling analysis. The RGRHGD holds parts of both RGD and KGD peptides, which have been reported as having high binding affinity to GPIIb-IIIa. The present study evaluates whether the synthesized hexapeptide, RGRHGD, has an antiplatelet effect and further elucidates the possible mechanisms of action. RGRHGD dose-dependently inhibited rabbit platelet aggregation and adenosine triphosphate release induced by arachidonic acid, collagen, platelet-activating factor, thrombin, or U46619 with the IC 50 range of 82.7 to 510 μg/mL. The platelet thromboxane B 2 formation induced by collagen or thrombin was also significantly decreased by RGRHGD, but there was no effect on arachidonic acid-induced thromboxane B 2 formation. In addition, RGRHGD also inhibited the rise of intracellular calcium level stimulated by arachidonic acid, collagen, or thrombin in Fura 2-AM-loaded platelets. The adenosine 3′,5′-cyclic monophosphate level of washed platelets was not affected by RGRHGD. In conclusion, these data indicate that the inhibitory effect of RGRHGD on platelet aggregation may be due to the attenuation of thromboxane A 2 formation and intracellular calcium mobilization. In addition, this study may provide a useful method of finding potential therapeutic agents by using molecular modeling analysis.