Supportive evidence for altered platelet function in the dived rat

A study was conducted on the changes in platelet function and platelet count in the Sprague-Dawley rat induced by a bends-producing N2-O2 compression-decompression cycle. In those instances where mild to moderate cases of decompression sickness were produced, a decrease in platelet reactivity to ADP-induced aggregation occurred immediately postdive along with an increase in inhibition of aggregation by prostaglandin E1. Both effects returned to control levels 24 hours postdive. In moderately affected animals, platelet counts were lower than normal 24 hours postdive but were similar to control values 72 hours postdive. These results tend to support current hypotheses regarding the etiological relationship between disseminated intravascular coagulation and decompression sickness as a function of bubble nucleation.