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Intravascular aggregation of platelets was evaluated in relation to the fibrinolytic system in order to assess the possibility of a "cause-effect" relationship. The spontaneous fibrinolytic activities of the plasma of male rats and of female rats at the various stages of the oestrous cycle were determined. Male rats had higher euglobulin clot lysis time (54.5 +/- 5.3 vs 29.2 +/- 3.1 min; P less than 0.05), higher fibrinogen levels (330.0 +/- 15.8 vs 231.0 +/- 31.1 mg/dl; P less than 0.025) and higher plasminogen activity (8.1 +/- 1.2 vs 6.1 +/- 1.6 plasmin units/ml; P less than 0.05) than female rats. Female rats had higher fibrinolytic index (8.8 +/- 0.8 vs 6.3 +/- 0.3 mg/dl; P less than 0.05) and plasminogen activator activity (99.1 +/- 6.0 vs 76.5 +/- 7.7 Plough units/ml; P less than 0.05) than male rats. The antiplasmin activities were the same in both sexes. During the oestrous cycle in female rats, euglobulin clot lysis time was not significantly different though it was highest during met-oestrous (34.2 +/- 3.6 min). However, pro-oestrous rats had lower fibrinogen (122.9 +/- 5.3 mg/dl; P less than 0.005), higher fibrinolytic index (10.6 +/- 0.8 mg/dl/min; P less than 0.001) and higher plasminogen activator activity (109.4 +/- 7.8 Plough units/ml; P less than 0.05) than rats from the other stages of the oestrous cycle. There were no significant differences in plasminogen content and antiplasmin activity. Using native rats, aggregatory responses to submaximal doses of adenosine diphosphate (20 micrograms/kg) were determined and correlated with the fibrinolytic data in age- and weight-matched rats (of both sexes). Aggregatory responses in all the groups of rats used correlated positively with fibrinogen levels (r = 0.8316; P less than 0.001) and negatively with plasminogen activator activity (r = -0.7839; P less than 0.05). Streptokinase (250-1000 Plough units/kg/hr) and urokinase (1000-4000 Plough units/kg/hr) produced dose-related reductions in intravascular aggregation induced by adenosine diphosphate. The streptokinase effect (but not urokinase effect) was reversed by epsilon-aminocaproic acid. Following the cessation of infusion of streptokinase and urokinase, there was a recovery of the platelets to aggregate to adenosine diphosphate. These observations suggest fibrinolytic pathway-specific effects. However, on its own, epsilon-amino-caproic acid did not affect the aggregatory responses of platelets from pro-oestrous rats. These results suggest that changes in fibrinolytic mechanisms may account for differences observed in intravascular aggregation of platelets of male and female rats and of female rats during the oestrous cycle.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Study Objective: The aim was to determine the receptors involved in the antiaggregatory effects of adrenaline in the rat., Design: The 111indium oxine technique was used to evaluate ADP induced pulmonary accumulation of 111In labelled platelets in adrenalectomised rats (ie, no endogenous adrenaline) in the absence of anticoagulants. Adrenaline was infused (10, 20 and 40 micrograms.kg-1.h-1) and ADP aggregation measured. Adrenoceptor agonists, isoprenaline, methoxamine, and BHT 933, were given to evaluate whether they mimic the adrenaline effects. Adrenoceptor antagonists, yohimbine, propranolol, prazosin, and WY 26392, were given to assess whether they block the adrenaline effects., Measurements and Main Results: In all cases, pulmonary accumulation of platelets was measured in response to ADP. Adrenaline dose dependently inhibited platelet aggregation. BHT 933 (1.5 micrograms.kg-1.min-1) mimicked, while phentolamine (1 mg.kg-1), yohimbine (2.5 mg.kg-1), and WY 26392 (0.1, 1.0, 5.0 mg.kg-1) blocked, the adrenaline effects. Methoxamine (3.3 micrograms.kg-1.min-1) produced a relatively weak non-specific inhibition of ADP aggregation. Isoprenaline (33 ng.kg-1.min-1) did not mimic the effects of adrenaline, neither did propranolol (1 mg.kg-1) affect the adrenaline inhibition of the aggregatory responses to ADP. Indomethacin (3 mg.kg-1) blocked the inhibitory effects of adrenaline., Conclusions: Adrenaline stimulates alpha receptors on platelets but inhibits platelet aggregation. There is no evidence to suggest that beta receptors participated in the effects produced by adrenaline. There is a role for cyclo-oxygenase products in the inhibitory effects of adrenaline on aggregation.

Physiological levels of oestradiol and adrenaline inhibit intravascular aggregation of platelets, and effect dependent on the presence of an adrenal gland secretion (possibly adrenaline) and oestrogens, respectively. This infers a "mutual dependence" phenomenon. Acute adrenalectomy had a biphasic effect on intravascular aggregation: enhancing platelet aggregation when levels of oestradiol are high, e.g. in pro-oestrous rat, and reducing platelet aggregation when levels of oestradiol are nil or very low, i.e., in ovariectomized or di-oestrous rats, respectively. Ovariectomy also had a biphasic effect on platelet aggregation reducing aggregation in the absence of adrenaline and enhancing aggregation in its presence. Removal of endogenous oestradiol (by ovariectomy) and its replacement fully corroborates the "mutual dependence" hypothesis, whereas the removal of endogenous adrenaline (by acute adrenalectomy) and its replacement only partially supports it. It is concluded that, though both oestradiol and adrenaline have inhibitory effects on intravascular aggregation at physiological doses, each seems to need the full compliment of the other to achieve the effect.

Intravascular aggregation in response to ADP, thrombin, arachidonate and collagen has been studied in the rat with a view to throwing more light on the validity, the reproducibility and physiology of the model. The radioisotopic technique of labelling platelets with indium-111 oxine was employed. The model is minimally invasive and involves collecting blood from donor rats, separating and labelling their platelets with indium-111 oxine and assessing the accumulation of platelets in the lungs of recipient rats following the intravascular administration of aggregating agents. Of the parameters evaluated, percentage peak increase in radio-labelled platelet count and area under the curve are good parameters of expressing aggregatory responses. Of the visceral organs evaluated, the lung is the most important organ for assessing platelet accumulation. Of the vascular routes examined, no aggregatory response occurred in the lungs when ADP was injected via any of the intra-arterial routes, and of the intravenous routes, injection via the tail vein gave the highest response. The results of this investigation provide some more detailed technical information to take note of when studying platelet aggregation in vivo by this model. The results also highlight the physiological phenomenon involved.

A method for monitoring platelet aggregation in vivo in the rat is described, using platelets labeled with indium3+ oxine and recording the increase in radioactivity count in the lung after injection of adenosine diphosphate and collagen. The effects of adenosine diphosphate and collagen are reproducible between animals. 5-Hydroxytryptamine creatine sulfate, which is inactive on rat platelets in vitro, causes aggregation in vivo, and adrenaline, which is proaggregatory in vitro inhibits adenosine diphosphate-induced aggregation in vivo. Female rats are relatively insensitive to the aggregating agents, particularly during proestrus, although when platelets from proestrus females were injected into male rats, their sensitivity was increased. Platelets from male rats injected into female rats in proestrus have low sensitivity.

The antiaggregatory effects of 6-oxo-PGE1 were evaluated in vivo in the rat using a minimally invasive technique involving 111-Indium labelling of platelets. The antiaggregatory effects on adenosine diphosphate-induced aggregation were compared with those of prostacyclin (PGI2) and prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) following slow infusions and bolus injections. The rank order of antiaggregatory potency was PGI2 greater than 6-oxo-PGE1 greater than PGE1 while the rank order of duration of antiaggregatory effects was PGE1 greater than 6-oxo-PGE1 greater than PGI2. The kinetics of the antiaggregatory effects of these prostaglandins suggests that such actions are not mediated by direct effects on platelets, but through a secondary mechanism.

The role of adrenaline on the inhibitory effects of physiological levels of oestradiol on ADP-induced intravascular aggregation has been studied. Platelets from pro-oestrous female rats aggregated less than those from dioestrous and male rats. Following adrenalectomy, there was no longer any difference(s) in the aggregability of the platelets to ADP in any of the rats. Adrenaline infusion (20 mg kg-1 hr-1) restored platelet aggregation to preadrenalectomy levels in pro-oestrous rate. Measurement of spontaneous fibrinolytic activity of the plasma showed highest value in pro-oestrous rats. Adrenalectomy reduced, while adrenaline infusion increased the fibrinolytic activity. The results suggest that the inhibitory effects of oestradiol on intravascular aggregation are dependent on endogenous adrenaline possibly working through the fibrinolytic pathway.

1. Cryptolepine--the methylquindolanol alkaloid of Cryptolepsis sanguinolenta was evaluated for its antiplatelet and fibrinolytic effects. 2. It exhibited antiplatelet effects in vitro in human, rabbit and rat PRP with EC50 values ranging between 8.1 x 10(-8) M and 1.7 x 10(-7) M for ADP, AA and thrombin. 3. In the rat, it inhibited ADP-aggregation in vivo with delayed onset and prolonged action. 4. In vitro, cryptolepine disaggregated (dose-dependently) platelets aggregated by ADP, AA and thrombin. 5. In addition, it exhibited an indirect fibrinolytic action in the rat possibly by causing the release of plasminogen activators from the vascular endothelium.