Effect of Heparin on Aggregation, Release Reaction and Thromboxane A2synthesis in Human Platelets

Abstract

Studies on the effect of heparin on platelet functions have resulted in conflicting observations: heparin has been reported to cause aggregation of platelets, potentiate aggregation induced by various aggregating agents, or cause inhibition of aggregation. Using paritally purified heparin (beef lung or porcine mucosa) we observed that addition of heparin to citrated platelet rich plasma(C-PRP)potentiated the aggregation of platelets induced by ADP, epinephrine, or arachidonic acid. Presence of heparin in C-PRP results in complete inhibition of thrombin induced effects and partial inhibition of platelet aggregation induced by collagen. Presence of heparin in C-PRP also resulted in release of significantly higher concentrations of 14C-serotonin when platelets were challenged by appropriate aggregating agents. Those concentrations of heparin that resulted in potentiation of aggregation had no appreciable effect on c-AiMP or c-GMP levels of platelets. However, the presence of heparin results in a significant elevation of thromboxane A2 as determined by contraction of rabbit aorta or after conversion to thromboxane B2 by thin layer chromatography. These observations are of interest since increased production of thromboxane A2 in the presence of heparin may explain in part, the potentiation of platelet aggregation in vitro or thrombocytopenia observed frequently in patients receiving heparin intravenously Supported in part by grants HL22583 & 20679 from NHLBI of NIH.