Influence of ticlopidine on the development of experimental Staphylococcus aureus endocarditis

Previously, we have shown that aspirin administration reduces the bacterial density and weight of aortic vegetations in a rabbit model of Staphylococcus aureus endocarditis. In the present paper, we sought to determine if ticlopidine, another potent inhibitor of platelet aggregation, also influences the development of endocarditis. Animals received either no ticlopidine (control), or oral doses of 10, 50, and 100 mg/kg daily. The 10 and 100 mg/kg treated groups had a statistically significant reduction of the vegetative weight as compared with the untreated controls. Although the 50 mg/kg dose did not result in a statistically significant difference (P = 0.058) in weight when compared with control, this dose also produced a substantial reduction in aortic value vegetation weights. None of the ticlopidine doses tested significantly altered the bacterial density relative to untreated controls. These findings suggest that ticlopidine alters the development of cardiac vegetations and may be useful agent for the prevention and/or treatment of infective endocarditis.