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Related Experiment Videos

Platelet alpha-granule release in cocaine users

H M Rinder1, K A Ault, P I Jatlow

  • 1Department of Laboratory Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Conn. 06520-8035.

Circulation
|September 1, 1994
PubMed
Summary

Long-term cocaine use can lead to elevated levels of circulating activated platelets, increasing risks for arterial issues. This platelet activation appears to be an indirect effect of cocaine, not directly caused by the drug itself.

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Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Science
  • Hematology
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Cocaine use is linked to arterial occlusion and accelerated atherosclerosis.
  • Platelet activation and alpha-granule release are implicated in cocaine-associated vascular damage.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between long-term cocaine use and circulating activated platelets.
  • To determine the direct vs. indirect effects of cocaine on platelet activation in vivo and in vitro.

Main Methods:

  • Flow cytometry was used to quantify P-selectin expression on platelets in whole blood.
  • Baseline platelet activation was measured in long-term cocaine users and non-users.
  • In vitro experiments assessed cocaine's effect on platelet activation and aggregation.

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  • In vivo studies involved blinded infusions of placebo or cocaine in cocaine users.

    • Main Results:

    • A subset of long-term cocaine users exhibited significantly elevated baseline levels of circulating activated platelets.
    • Cocaine and its metabolites did not directly induce platelet activation or aggregation in vitro.
    • Both placebo and cocaine infusions in cocaine users led to a significant acute increase in circulating activated platelets.

    Conclusions:

    • Some long-term cocaine users experience intermittent elevations in activated platelets, suggesting alpha-granule release.
    • The in vitro data indicate cocaine does not directly cause platelet activation at relevant concentrations.
    • The in vivo findings suggest cocaine-associated platelet activation occurs indirectly, possibly mediated by other factors.