Platelets are anucleated cells that circulate in the bloodstream. Historically, platelets were thought to perform a singular function—stop bleeding via clotting. Although platelets do play a key role in hemostasis and thrombosis, recent studies indicate that platelets also modulate inflammation, and this platelet-induced inflammation contributes to the pathophysiology of various diseases such as atherosclerosis and diabetes mellitus. Thus, in recent years, our understanding of platelet function has broadened. In this review, we revisit the classic role of platelets in hemostasis and thrombosis and describe the newly recognized function of platelets in modulating inflammation. We cover the potential use of purinergic receptor antagonists to prevent platelet-modulated inflammation, particularly in patients with chronic kidney disease, and finally, we define key questions that must be addressed to understand how platelet-modulated inflammation contributes to the pathophysiology of chronic kidney disease.

中文翻译：

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慢性肾脏病中的血小板、炎症和嘌呤能受体


血小板是在血液中循环的无核细胞。从历史上看，血小板被认为具有单一功能——通过凝血来止血。尽管血小板确实在止血和血栓形成中发挥着关键作用，但最近的研究表明，血小板还可以调节炎症，而这种血小板诱导的炎症有助于动脉粥样硬化和糖尿病等多种疾病的病理生理学。因此，近年来，我们对血小板功能的理解不断拓宽。在这篇综述中，我们重新审视了血小板在止血和血栓形成中的经典作用，并描述了血小板在调节炎症方面新认识的功能。我们介绍了嘌呤能受体拮抗剂预防血小板调节炎症的潜在用途，特别是在慢性肾病患者中，最后，我们定义了必须解决的关键问题，以了解血小板调节炎症如何促进慢性肾病的病理生理学。