Effect of dipyridamole-like compound (R-E 244) on aggregation and cyclic AMP accumulation in human platelets

The aim of this in vitro study was to evaluate the effect of a clinical concentration (2 microM) of dipyridamole alone or in combination with adenosine, 5'-N-ethyl-carboxamido-adenosine (NECA), or prostaglandin E2 on ADP-induced whole blood aggregability. Cyclic AMP accumulation in platelet-rich plasma was also evaluated. For comparison, R-E 244 (a dipyridamole analogue with low phosphodiesterase inhibition) was examined. In whole blood, dipyridamole (2 microM), but not R-E 244 (2 microM), had a small inhibitory effect (16% +/- 5%, p less than 0.01) on aggregation. Adenosine (1 or 5 microM) had an inhibitory effect that was enhanced by the combination with dipyridamole or R-E 244. Adenosine + dipyridamole produced an inhibition almost equal to that of adenosine + R-E 244. Dipyridamole and R-E 244 had no influence on the antiaggregatory effect of NECA and prostaglandin E2. In platelet-rich plasma, dipyridamole and R-E 244 did not enhance cyclic AMP, nor did they reinforce the cyclic AMP production during treatment with adenosine, NECA, and prostaglandin E2. Our results suggest that inhibition of the uptake of adenosine into red blood cells may play a more important role than the inhibition of phosphodiesterase as the pharmacological mechanism for the antiaggregatory effect of dipyridamole in clinical treatment.