The effect of aspirin on the hypotonic shock response

The effect of aspirin on the hypotonic shock response was studied at 2, 6, 24, and 48 hours after ingestion of 1.6 g of acetylsalicylic acid. There was a marked acceleration of the recovery phase of the response at two hours. This steadily decreased and by 48 hours had returned to near normal values. In most cases there was also a change in the initial phase of the shock response. We have interpreted these results to indicate a change in membrane permeability (first phase effect) as well as an activation of the energy-dependent recovery (second phase). The latter process possibly is the result of an increase in the levels of available ATP. As previously reported, the response to aggregating agents was impaired in the presence of ASA. Normal and aspirinated platelets were mixed in an attempt to overcome the ASA effect. Using two hour postingestion samples we noted considerable impairment of both the hypotonic shock response and aggregation even in the presence of very high concentrations of normal platelets.