2-Methoxybenzoic acid ameliorates arterial thrombosis via inhibiting carbon anhydrase activity in platelet

Background: 2-Methoxybenzoic acid (2MOA) is a natural compound with potential salicylate-like effects; however, its impact on arterial thrombosis remains unclear.

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the effects of 2MOA on thrombogenesis and its underlying mechanisms.

Methods: FeCl₃-induced carotid artery injury and laser-induced cremaster artery injury thrombosis assays were used to explore the effect of 2MOA on thrombogenesis in vivo. Various ex vivo platelet function assays were conducted to evaluate the impacts of 2MOA on platelet activity. In addition, untargeted metabolomics analysis was performed to identify the alterations in intraplatelet metabolites following 2MOA treatment.

Results: We found that 2MOA significantly ameliorated thrombosis in a dose-dependent manner, without affecting the normal hemostasis in C57BL/6J mice. 2MOA suppressed platelet reactivity as indicated by decreased spreading, retraction, and aggregation in both mouse and human platelets. Metabolomics analysis revealed significantly alterations in purine metabolism following 2MOA treatment, which increased cyclic guanosine monophosphate production in platelets. Mechanistically, 2MOA inhibited the activity of Carbonic Anhydrase, leading to elevated intraplatelet cGMP level, and subsequent suppression of cytosolic Phospholipase A2 phosphorylation.

Conclusion: Our study illustrates that 2MOA efficaciously inhibits platelet reactivity and alleviates thrombogenesis via suppressing Carbonic Anhydrase activity, which should be a promising reagent in the prevention and treatment of arterial thrombotic events.