title: Dipyridamole potentiates the anti-aggregating effect of endothelium-derived relaxing factor.
abstract: One effector of the anti-aggregatory property of endothelium is thought to be endothelium-derived relaxing factor. The best characterized of these, nitric oxide, inhibits platelet aggregation by increasing cyclic GMP levels. The effects of nitric oxide and dipyridamole (a cyclic GMP phosphodiesterase inhibitor), alone and in combination, on in vitro platelet aggregation were evaluated. Dipyridamole had no effect per se on platelet aggregation but potentiated the inhibition of aggregation due to nitric oxide. This was concomitant with an increase in platelet cyclic GMP concentration. The author suggests an alternative mechanism for the clinical efficacy of dipyridamole as an antiplatelet agent.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Hokkaido University School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sakuma
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Akaishi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fukao
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Makita
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Makita
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Matsuno
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Miyazaki
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yasuda
mesh_terms: D000242:Cyclic AMP / Q000378:metabolism; D006152:Cyclic GMP / Q000378:metabolism; D004176:Dipyridamole / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology*; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors
chemical_list: D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D004176:Dipyridamole; D000242:Cyclic AMP; D006152:Cyclic GMP