Laboratory of Thrombosis and Hemostasis ledby Prof. Hu Hu at the Zhejiang University School of Medicine recently has publishedonline in the journal Haematologica anarticle entitled “Critical role of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor αin promoting platelet hyperreactivity and thrombosis under hyperlipidemia.”. 2021DOI: 10.3324 / haematol. 2021.279770. This study elucidated the role of PPARαin platelet activation and thrombosis under healthy condition and hyperlipidemia.

Hyperlipidemia is an established riskfactor for atherothrombotic disease. Yet how hyperlipidemia is responsible forthrombosis remains unclear. Transcription factor PPARα (peroxisomeproliferator-activated receptor alpha) is a known regulator key for lipidmetabolism.Thecurrent study established that PPARα-supported platelet activation is criticalto hyperlipidemia promoted prothrombotic condition. It is revealed thatmegakaryocytes, the precursor cells of platelets, respond to hyperlipidemiawith an upregulation of PPARα, which bestows the platelets an enhanced abilityto conduct signaling that culminates in an increased granule secretion andthrombosis. The mechanistic findings are obtained first in a hyperlipidemicmice model and recapitulated in human hyperlipidemic patients, which signifiesthe potential of the current study in contributing possible therapeutic targetsto prevent thrombotic events associated with hyperlipidemia.

First authorship is shared by Li Li, ZhouJiawei, and Wang Shuai. This study was supported by grants from the NationalNatural Science Foundation of China (81870106, 82070138, 82000139) and theZhejiang Provincial Natural Science Foundation (LZ18H080001). Senior authorsinclude professor Aiming Liu from Ningbo University School of Medicine. Theauthors would like to express gratitude to the Center of Cryo-ElectronMicroscopy and the Laboratory Animal Center of Zhejiang University School fortheir professional assistance.