Prostacyclin-thromboxane interactions in the platelet-perfused in vitro heart

A preparation of an isolated platelet-perfused guinea pig heart is described, which was utilized to study prostacyclin-thromboxane interrelationships. Infusion of washed human platelets (4 X 10(8)/min) through the coronary vascular bed stimulated the vascular PGI2 production from 114 +/- 27 to 350 +/- 30 pg/ml (P less than 0.01) and was associated with a significant increase in platelet cAMP from 1.2 +/- 0.4 to 2.6 +/- 0.9 pmol/10(8) platelets (P less than 0.05). Administration of arachidonic acid (AA) (45 micrograms) to the system led to a further increase (eight- to ninefold) of PGI2 and yielded marked thromboxane formation (20-25 ng/ml). Treatment of the hearts with aspirin (1 mM) prevented the PGI2 formation and AA-induced increase in platelet cAMP. Treatment of platelets with aspirin prevented thromboxane formation but did not influence AA-induced changes in platelet cAMP and vascular PGI2 production. Bioassay data of PGI2 and rabbit aortic contracting substance gave results comparable to radioimmunoassay of 6-keto-PGF1 alpha and thromboxane B2. AA always decreased the coronary vascular resistance whether thromboxanes were formed or not.