TITLE:
Platelets Play an Integral Role in Body Heat Production and Maintenance: A Newly Proposed Function
AUTHORS:
Thirugnana Subramanian
KEYWORDS:
ADP, ATP, Oxidative Phosphorylation, Platelets, Reactive Oxygen Species
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Biosciences and Medicines,
Vol.11 No.3,
March
10,
2023
ABSTRACT: In platelets, most of the ADP is stored in dense granules and released into extracellular space through exocytosis as a signaling molecule upon platelet activation. Glycolysis and the TCA cycle consume considerable amounts of ADP; however, limiting quantities of available ADP to make ATP through OXPHOS result in failure of ATP production and release of energy as heat into the surroundings. Thus, body heat may be a potential product of circulating platelets. Furthermore, the incomplete OXPHOS process causes the production of ROS that leads to earlier platelet death resulting in shorter life span. In the future, this new function may have a wide variety of clinical applications.