title: Effect of hirudin on platelet deposition to an artificial surface during low-stress shear flow of whole blood.
abstract: The effect of hirudin, a known inhibitor of thrombin, was evaluated for whole blood samples in terms of platelet deposition/adhesion to a non-biological test surface (tetrafluoroethylene-propylene copolymer), adenosine diphosphate (ADP) release and reduction in platelet count during laminar shear flow for a shear rate to 5680 s-1 (corresponding to a shear stress of about 150 dynes/cm2). Experiments were done in a cone-and-plate viscometer for samples of whole blood with and without the addition of hirudin. Whole blood samples containing hirudin showed about a 50% reduction in platelet surface coverage compared with blood samples not containing hirudin. Results on low-stress, shear-induced release of ADP showed that for shear rates of 2860 s-1 and above there was an increase in ADP release for the blood samples not containing hirudin compared with the hirudin-treated samples. However, no differences in haemoglobin leakage from red blood cells as well as residual platelet count following shear were observed between both types of blood samples.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago 60616.
authors.forename: T M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Alkhamis
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Beissinger
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Chediak
mesh_terms: D000244:Adenosine Diphosphate / Q000378:metabolism; D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D006461:Hemolysis; D006629:Hirudins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D010973:Platelet Adhesiveness / Q000187:drug effects*; D010974:Platelet Aggregation / Q000187:drug effects*; D010976:Platelet Count / Q000187:drug effects; D011108:Polymers; D011138:Polytetrafluoroethylene; D014783:Viscosity
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D006629:Hirudins; D011108:Polymers; D000244:Adenosine Diphosphate; D011138:Polytetrafluoroethylene