INFLUENCE OF HYPERCAPNIA AND HYPOXIA ON RABBIT PLATELET-AGGREGATION

The influence of changes in pCO2, pH and pO2 on the aggregation of rabbit blood platelets was studied in vitro, with emphasis on hypercapnia, acidocis and hypoxia. Hypercapnia combined with acidosis caused a reduction in rabbit platelet aggregation, as induced by collagen, thrombin and ADP; the effect being most pronounced with collagen and smallest with ADP. Hypoxia reduced thrombin induced platelet aggregation, but had no effect on ADP and collagen induced aggregation. Synergistic activation of rabbit platelets, as induced by the addition of serotonin to platelet rich plasma together with collagen or ADP, seemed to be equally sensitive to changes in pCO2 and pH as activation by the individual agents, and insensitive to changes in pO2. © 1990.