Effects of dipyridamole on prostaglandin synthesis in human fibroblasts

The effect of varied doses of dipyridamole (Persantin) on the arachidonic acid metabolites prostaglandin (PG)I2, PGE2 and thromboxane (TX)A2 has been studied in human skin fibroblasts cultured in vitro. A 24-h exposure to the drug induced a dose-dependent increase of all the examined prostaglandins (PG's). Bradykinin stimulation of cells that had been preexposed to the drug induced a continuous increase in PG-production as compared to controls, despite the absence of the drug. In addition, an acute 5-min exposure to dipyridamole produced an increased thromboxane production, but no consistent changes of PGI2 or PGE2, and it inhibited significantly and dose-dependently the comcomitant bradykinin stimulated production of all the examined PG's. The implications of a combined dipyridamole-acetylsalicylic acid therapy is discussed.