Effect of almitrine bismesylate on platelet aggregation and prostacyclin biosynthesis

Almitrine bismesylate (1, 10 and 100 micrograms/ml) did not interfere with aggregation of rabbit blood platelets induced by arachidonic acid (100 micrograms/ml), ADP (10 microM) or collagen (10 micrograms/ml) in platelet rich plasma and did not augment the generation of prostacyclin by the rabbit aorta endothelium. Although almitrine bismesylate (2 mg/kg i.v.) increased the respiratory movements it did not stimulate prostacyclin biosynthesis in rabbits in vivo nor did it interfere with the ex vivo platelet aggregation induced by ADP or arachidonic acid and measured with the whole blood electronic aggregometer.