Metabolomics and Proteomics Reveal the Variation of Substances in Apheresis Platelets during Storage and Their Effects on Cancer Cell Proliferation

Introduction: Apheresis platelets (APs) are clinically and crucially important in the prevention and treatment of bleeding in patients with thrombocytopenia or cancer. However, few researchers have addressed the variation of supernatant metabolites and exosome proteins in APs during storage and their effects on cancer cell proliferation.

Objective: This study was designed to explore the change rules of the metabolites and exosomal proteins of APs during storage and their effects on cancer cell proliferation.

Methods: Metabolomics and proteomics were separately applied to analyze the variation of AP supernatant metabolites and exosomal proteins between freshly prepared day-0 and day-5 terminal-stored APs. Cell counting kit (CCK)-8 assay was performed to detect the effects of AP supernatants and exosomes on the proliferation of cancer cells.

Results: We found that the supernatant metabolites and exosomal proteins in APs were significantly different on day 0 and day 5, and that many differential metabolites and exosomal proteins were associated with cancer characteristics. Furthermore, the day-5 AP supernatants had a greater inhibition of the proliferation of K562, HepG2, and HCT116 cancer cells, but the day-5 AP exosomes had no significant effect on the proliferation of these cancer cells.

Conclusion: The variant terminal-stored AP supernatants may inhibit the proliferation of cancer cells but the variant terminal AP exosomes have no effect on cancer cell proliferation.