Platelet aggregation and the pharmacology of local anaesthetics

Local anaesthetics significantly inhibit platelet aggregation and prolong the lag period of collagen-induced aggregation, but only at toxic concentrations. This appears to be due to stabilization of the platelet membrane. While the phenomenon is not clinically significant, the platelet may serve as a readily available, easily harvested, renewable human cellular model for studying the pharmacology of local anaesthetics.