Halothane-induced ATP depletion in platelets from patients susceptible to malignant hyperthermia and from controls

Since the cellular defect of malignant hyperthermia (MH) may occur in tissues other than muscle and since platelets share certain contractile characteristics with muscle cells, testing platelets has been suggested as a way to diagnose susceptibility to MH. In analogy to the in vitro depletion of muscle adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the authors compared platelet basal nucleotide levels and halothane-induced depletion of ATP from 10 MH-susceptible patients and from 12 unrelated nonsusceptible controls. A rapid and simple isocratic high-pressure liquid chromatography technique was used to analyze acid-extracted platelet nucleotides. Halothane added to platelet-rich plasma at 37 degrees C significantly decreased ATP in platelets in a dose-dependent as well as a time-dependent manner. In contrast, adenosine diphosphate (ADP) and adenosine monophosphate (AMP) were not changed significantly. Other volatile anesthetic agents also depleted ATP in platelets. Although ATP in platelets exposed to halothane was depleted significantly, there was no difference between platelets from MH-susceptible patients and nonsusceptible controls. Therefore, halothane-induced ATP depletion in platelets is not a reliable test for diagnosing MH susceptibility.