Compounds inhibiting platelet function by acting on platelet cAMP metabolism usually also have effects on the circulatory system, i.e. they decrease systemic blood pressure (bp) and are positive inotropic. For several compounds selected because of their distinct platelet inhibitory effects, the influence on these parameters in animals and on the cAMP metabolism in human platelets was determined.Inotropic effects and bp were measured via an indwelling catheter in anestetised cats after i.v. application of the test compounds. The inhibition of platelet PDEs was measured in freeze-thaw homogenates of human platelets using 3H-cAMP as substrate. Intraplatelet cAMP changes were measured by prelabelling the ATP pool with 3H-adenine and isolation of 3H-cAMP. Linear regression analysis of the drug concentrations causing a doubling of intraplatelet cAMP levis and the % difference in bp or the % difference in dp/dt, resp., by i.v. application of 0.3 mg/kg test compound yielded the following results:cAMP vs % diff. bp : r=0.02, N=18cAMP vs % diff. dp/dt: r = 0.02 , N = 15In contrast to a good correlation between intraplatelet cAMP levels and inhibition of platelet function tests, no obvious relationship was seen between cAMP and decrease in bp and positive initropic effects. It is not known whether the lack of correlation could be due to a different drug access to platelets and the bp regulatory system.A biochemical parameter, i.e. intraplatelet cAMP increase by inhibition of PDEs correlates reasonably well with the inhibition of platelet function tests. This parameter is not useful, however, to predict the effects on the heart and the circulatory system.
A comparison of six major platelet function tests to determine the prevalence of aspirin resistance in patients with stable coronary artery disease
