Platelet aggregation in young men with contrasting predisposition to high blood pressure

• Published in: American journal of hypertension 1999-02, Vol.12 (2), p.115-119
• Main Authors: Dockrell, Mark E.C, Walker, Brian R, Noon, Joseph P, Watt, Graham C.M, Williams, Brent C, Webb, David J
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Arterial hypertension. Arterial hypotension; Biological and medical sciences; Blood and lymphatic vessels; Blood Platelets - drug effects; Blood Pressure; Cardiology. Vascular system; catecholamines; Causality; Clinical manifestations. Epidemiology. Investigative techniques. Etiology; Endothelin-1 - pharmacology; endothelins; epinephrine; Epinephrine - pharmacology; Follow-Up Studies; Genetic Predisposition to Disease - blood; Genetic Predisposition to Disease - physiopathology; Humans; hypertension; Hypertension - blood; Hypertension - genetics; Hypertension - physiopathology; Male; Medical sciences; Platelet; Platelet Aggregation - drug effects; Platelet Aggregation - physiology; Retrospective Studies; Vasoconstrictor Agents - pharmacology
• ISSN: 0895-7061; 1879-1905; 1941-7225
• DOI: 10.1016/S0895-7061(98)00215-5

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 × 10 −8 to 5 × 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.