Continuous measurements of ATP secretion in vivo

Blood was withdrawn continuously from femoral veins of anesthetized rabbits at a rate of 0.07 ml/min. Sodium citrate was pumped into the blood to prevent coagulation, and luciferin-luciferase reagent was added to permit the continuous detection of extracellular ATP. Subsequently, the red blood cells were lysed and the platelet count was recorded continuously. Injection of platelet activating factor or collagen into rabbit ear veins caused an almost immediate but short-lived increase in extracellular ATP with a simultaneous but more prolonged decrease in the platelet count. Although both the endoperoxide analog 9,11-azo-PGH2 and ADP also decreased the platelet count, little extracellular ATP was detected after the azo-PGH2 and none after ADP. These studies demonstrate that those agents that cause platelet secretion from rabbit platelets in vitro also cause secretion in vivo. The method described should be useful in evaluating the capacity of antithrombotic drugs to modify platelet secretion in vivo.