Differential effect of platelet inhibitors in normal and in hypercholesterolaemic subjects

Dibutyryl cyclic AMP, forskolin, dipyridamole and butyl imidazole inhibited platelet aggregation (induced by ADP or collagen) in washed platelets more than in platelet-rich plasma preparations. Aspirin, indomethacin and epoprostenol (prostacyclin, PGI2) showed no preferential inhibition of these platelet preparations. When platelet-rich plasma from either normal or familial hypercholesterolaemic (FH) subjects was used, aspirin, indomethacin and dipyridamole (but not forskolin) inhibited platelet aggregation in normal subjects more than in FH patients. When low doses of aspirin (75 mg daily for 7 days) or dipyridamole (250 mg, single dose) were administered in vivo, platelet aggregation was inhibited more in the normal subjects in comparison to the patient group.