Abstract
Using fura-2 cytosolic free calcium concentrations were measured in intact washed platelets from 9 spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and from 9 age-matched normotensive Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY). In resting platelets cytosolic free calcium concentration was significantly higher in SHR than in WKY (171.8 ± 64.4 nM vs 93.1 ± 59.0 nM, p<0.05). After preincubation with erythropoietin cytosolic free calcium concentration was significantly higher in SHR than in WKY (197.5 ± 83.2 vs 93.0 ± 60.1, p<0.01). Using platelets from SHR erythropoietin increased mean resting cytosolic free calcium concentration by 14.9% (p<0.05) and mean thrombin induced changes of cytosolic free calcium by 58.3% (p<0.01). In contrast, erythropoietin caused no significant increase in the resting calcium concentration or in thrombin induced changes of cytosolic free calcium in platelets from WKY. It is concluded that erythropoietin is involved in the pathogenesis of hypertension by elevating cytosolic free calcium concentration.
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