Platelet aggregation in young men with contrasting predisposition to high blood pressure.
In essential hypertension, abnormal platelet function may induce vasospasm and predispose to thrombotic vascular occlusion. We studied in vitro aggregability in platelets from young men with contrasting predisposition to hypertension, defined by their own blood pressure and blood pressures of their parents. Among offspring of parents with low blood pressure, higher blood pressure was associated with impaired aggregation in response to epinephrine (2 x 10(-8) to 5 x 10(-6) mol/L), which was unaffected by endothelin-1 (10(-9) mol/L). By contrast, among offspring of parents with high blood pressure, higher blood pressure was associated with normal aggregation to epinephrine and potentiation of the primary phase of aggregation by endothelin-1. We conclude that enhanced platelet sensitivity to endothelin-1 appears to be a feature of the familial predisposition to hypertension, rather than a nonspecific consequence of high blood pressure.
Dockrell
M E
ME
University of Edinburgh, Department of Medicine, Western General Hospital, Scotland.
Walker
B R
BR
Noon
J P
JP
Watt
G C
GC
Williams
B C
BC
Webb
D J
DJ
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000187:drug effects; D001794:Blood Pressure; D015984:Causality; D019332:Endothelin-1 / Q000494:pharmacology; D004837:Epinephrine / Q000494:pharmacology; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000097:blood* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D010974:Platelet Aggregation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014662:Vasoconstrictor Agents / Q000494:pharmacology
D019332:Endothelin-1; D014662:Vasoconstrictor Agents; D004837:Epinephrine