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Fig. 6 | Journal of Hematology & Oncology

Fig. 6

From: SARS-CoV-2 binds platelet ACE2 to enhance thrombosis in COVID-19

Fig. 6

SARS-CoV-2 Spike 1 protein directly enhances thrombosis potential in vivo. a Washed platelets from wild-type or hACE2 transgenic mice were infused into WT mice. After intravenous injection 200 μg/kg Spike protein or control (saline), FeCl3-induced arterial thrombus formation was initiated, and the thrombus area was recorded. Representative image of thrombus formation and the relative fluorescence at different time points are shown. Statistically analysis of FeCl3-induced thrombosis by assess thrombus area at 8 min (n = 10). b Spike protein-treated whole blood from hACE2 mice showed accelerated thrombus formation over an immobilized collagen surface at a shear rate of 1000 s−1, whereas Spike protein-treated whole blood from wild type mice did not. The whole blood from mice was fluorescently labeled by mepacrine (100 μM, 30 min) and incubated with Spike protein (2 μg/mL) for 5 min, and then perfused through fibrillar collagen-coated bioflux plates for 5 min. Representative images and time courses of thrombus formation challenged with control or Spike protein at the indicated time points are presented. Dot plot showing thrombus formation area (n = 6). c Spike protein-treated platelets from hACE2 mice presented increased platelet aggregation and ATP release in response to collagen, thrombin, and ADP, whereas Spike protein-treated platelets from wild-type mice did not. Washed platelets from mice were pretreated with control or Spike protein (2 μg/mL) for 5 min, and then stimulated with collagen (0.6 μg/mL), thrombin (0.025 U/mL), or ADP (5 μM). Aggregation and ATP release (with luciferase) were assessed under stirring at 1200 rpm. Representative results are presented from 4 experiments using platelets from different mice and summary data are presented in Additional file 1: Online Figure 8. Statistical analyses were performed using unpaired two-tailed Student’s t test in (a) and (b). NS no significance; **P < 0.01. WT indicates wild-type; hACE2 indicates hACE2 transgenic

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