Epinephrine induces Ca2+ uptake in human blood platelets.
Human blood platelets isolated by albumin density gradient centrifugation take up Ca2+ during 10(-6)M epinephrine-induced primary aggregation but not during 10(-6)M ADP-induced primary aggregation. Platelet uptake of Ca2+ is dose-dependent over a range of 10(-7) to 10(-5) M epinephrine. Antagonism of the platelet alpha-receptor by phentolamine (10(-6)M) results in inhibition of both epinephrine-stimulated Ca2+ uptake and aggregation. The Ca2+ antagonist verapamil (50 micro M) blocks Ca2+ uptake and epinephrine-induced aggregation, but not ADP-induced aggregation. The verapamil inhibition of aggregation is reduced on Ca2+ addition. These results suggest that epinephrine acts to stimulate primary platelet aggregation through a specific receptor interaction that results in a selective increase in platelet membrane permeability to Ca2+.
D000244:Adenosine Diphosphate / Q000494:pharmacology; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D002118:Calcium / Q000097:blood*; D004837:Epinephrine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D010646:Phentolamine / Q000494:pharmacology; D010974:Platelet Aggregation / Q000187:drug effects; D014700:Verapamil / Q000494:pharmacology
D000244:Adenosine Diphosphate; D014700:Verapamil; D002118:Calcium; D004837:Epinephrine; D010646:Phentolamine