title: Vitamin E potentiates the antiplatelet activity of aspirin in collagen-stimulated platelets.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The combination of vitamin E with aspirin is becoming an attractive therapeutic approach to prevent thrombotic vascular accidents. In this study we investigated the capacity of vitamin E (50 and 100 M) to enhance the antiplatelet effect of aspirin.
  
  
  METHODS
  The dose-response curves of platelet aggregation, dense body secretion, phospholipase C activation and calcium mobilization were measured in aspirin-treated platelets with and without added vitamin E (50 and 100 M). The role of vitamin E in reducing platelet adhesion to collagen was also studied.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We demonstrated that, in platelets incubated with 100 M vitamin E, collagen-concentration ( g/mL) able to induce 50% of the maximal platelet aggregation and of the calcium mobilization was higher than in controls (11.6 versus 3.8 and 21.3 versus 9.8, respectively). Furthermore, 50 M vitamin E reduced platelet adhesion to collagen by about 80%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data demonstrate that vitamin E can potentiate the antiplatelet activity of aspirin by inhibiting the early events of platelet activation pathways induced by collagen. This finding provides a rationale for combining aspirin and vitamin E to prevent thrombotic complications in atherosclerotic patients.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Experimental Medicine and Pathology, University La Sapienza, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Celestini
authors.forename: Fabio M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Pulcinelli
authors.forename: Pasquale
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pignatelli
authors.forename: Luisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lenti
authors.forename: Giacomo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Frati
authors.forename: Pier Paolo
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Gazzaniga
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Violi
mesh_terms: D001241:Aspirin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D003094:Collagen / Q000494:pharmacology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004357:Drug Synergism; D006801:Humans; D015539:Platelet Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors; D014810:Vitamin E; D003094:Collagen; D001241:Aspirin