The ultrastructure of camel blood platelets: a comparative study with human, bovine, and equine cells.
Abstract: Previous studies indicated that the camel has a very active haemostatic mechanism with a short bleeding time and thrombocytosis. However, platelet function, when tested by agonist-induced aggregation and PFA 100 closure time, showed marked inhibition compared to humans. Since camels are also far more resistant to long exposure to excessive heat and high body temperature than humans, it seemed worthwhile to explore fundamental morphological differences between human and camel platelets and those from other species. The present study has examined the ultrastructure of camel platelets and compared them with the fine structures of human, bovine and equine thrombocytes. Camel platelets, like bovine and equine cells, are discoid in shape and about two-thirds the size of human platelets. A circumferential coil of microtubular supports the disk-like form of camel platelets. Their cytoplasm, like bovine and equine platelets, is filled with alpha granule twice as large as those in human platelets, but lacking the organized matrix of equine alpha granules. Dense bodies are present in camel platelets with whip-like extensions not present on bovine or equine thrombocytes, but found on occasional human platelet dense bodies. Camel platelets, like bovine and equine thrombocytes, lack an open canalicular system (OCS) and must secrete granule products by fusion with the cell wall rather than an OCS. Future studies will determine if the differences in ultrastructural anatomy protect camel platelets from heat more than human thrombocytes.
Publication Date: 2008-01-31 PubMed ID: 18231938DOI: 10.1080/09537100701627151Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Comparative Study
- Journal Article
Summary
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The study explores the unique structure of the camel’s blood platelets compared to human, bovine, and equine cells, indicating potential adaptations to their harsh living conditions.
Objective of the Study
- This research aims to compare and analyze the ultrastructure of camel blood platelets with those of humans, bovines, and equines. It was instigated by the observation that camels have remarkable bodily control over bleeding and can tolerate extreme weather conditions better than humans.
Methodology
- The structure of the camel platelets was studied closely and then contrasted with the detailed structures of human, bovine, and equine thrombocytes.
Results and Discoveries
- Camel, bovine, and equine platelets are discoid (disk-like) in shape and are approximately two-thirds the size of human platelets.
- All have a circular structure made up of microtubules that maintain their discoid shape. Their cytoplasm, like that in bovine and equine platelets, contains large alpha granules, which are twice the size of those in human platelets. However, unlike equine alpha granules, the ones found in camels lack an organized matrix.
- Unique to the camel platelets are dense bodies with whip-like extensions, rarely seen in human’s and absent in bovine and equine thrombocytes. Also, camel platelets, like bovines and equines, do not have an open canalicular system (OCS). Hence, they secrete granule products by fusing with the cell wall instead of through an OCS.
Study Implications and Future Promises
- The differences noted in the ultrastructure of camel platelets imply a potential adaptation to survive in severe hot conditions. Further research is necessary to confirm whether these differences enable camel platelets to better resist heat than human thrombocytes.
Cite This Article
APA
Gader AG, Ghumlas AK, Hussain MF, Haidari AA, White JG.
(2008).
The ultrastructure of camel blood platelets: a comparative study with human, bovine, and equine cells.
Platelets, 19(1), 51-58.
https://doi.org/10.1080/09537100701627151 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Physiology Department, The Coagulation Laboratory, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh. amagader@hotmail.com
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Bleeding Time
- Blood Platelets / metabolism
- Blood Platelets / ultrastructure
- Body Temperature / physiology
- Camelus
- Cattle
- Cell Size
- Cytoplasmic Granules / ultrastructure
- Hemostasis / physiology
- Horses
- Hot Temperature
- Humans
- Platelet Aggregation / physiology
- Species Specificity
- Thrombocytosis / metabolism
Citations
This article has been cited 6 times.- Ehrmann C, Engel J, Moritz A, Roscher K. Assessment of platelet biology in equine patients with systemic inflammatory response syndrome.. J Vet Diagn Invest 2021 Mar;33(2):300-307.
- Pokrovskaya ID, Aronova MA, Kamykowski JA, Prince AA, Hoyne JD, Calco GN, Kuo BC, He Q, Leapman RD, Storrie B. STEM tomography reveals that the canalicular system and α-granules remain separate compartments during early secretion stages in blood platelets.. J Thromb Haemost 2016 Mar;14(3):572-84.
- Gruba SM, Koseoglu S, Meyer AF, Meyer BM, Maurer-Jones MA, Haynes CL. Platelet membrane variations and their effects on δ-granule secretion kinetics and aggregation spreading among different species.. Biochim Biophys Acta 2015 Jul;1848(7):1609-18.
- Abdel Gader AG, Al Momen AK, Alhaider A, Brooks MB, Catalfamo JL, Al Haidary AA, Hussain MF. Clotting factor VIII (FVIII) and thrombin generation in camel plasma: A comparative study with humans.. Can J Vet Res 2013 Apr;77(2):150-7.
- Fontenot RL, Sink CA, Werre SR, Weinstein NM, Dahlgren LA. Simple tube centrifugation for processing platelet-rich plasma in the horse.. Can Vet J 2012 Dec;53(12):1266-72.
- Choi W, Karim ZA, Whiteheart SW. Protein expression in platelets from six species that differ in their open canalicular system.. Platelets 2010;21(3):167-75.
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