Myocardial ischaemia induces platelet activation with adverse electrophysiological and arrhythmogenic effects

The aim was to investigate how platelet activation during myocardial ischaemia can induce electrophysiological and arrhythmogenic effects, and examine the involvement of different platelet membrane receptors in producing these effects.

Transmembrane action potentials and electrograms were recorded from isolated, Langendorff perfused guinea pig hearts during normal perfusion, global myocardial ischaemia, and reperfusion during infusion of human platelets. Platelet reactivity was altered by treating platelets with forskolin, aspirin, the platelet activating factor (PAF) receptor antagonist BN 52021, the thromboxane A2 (TP) receptor antagonist GR 32191B, and the alpha 2 adrenoceptor antagonist yohimbine. Myocardial catecholamine depletion was induced by treatment with 6-hydroxydopamine.

Platelet infusion had no electrophysiological effects during normal perfusion, but during ischaemia it enhanced the reduction in action potential duration at 95% repolarisation [APD95, 110(SEM 3) ms v 121(5) ms, p < 0.05, at 15 min] and increased the incidence of ventricular arrhythmias (from 56% to 94%, p = 0.04) compared to hearts receiving buffer but no platelets. The reductions in APD95 and the arrhythmogenic effects were attenuated when forskolin treated, aspirin treated or GR 32191B treated platelets were infused (VF: 50% v 94%, p = 0.03; 50% v 94%, p = 0.02; 22% v 94%, p < 0.001, respectively). Similar results were obtained when normal platelets were infused into catecholamine depleted hearts (VF: 60% v 94%, p = 0.0549). These differences were associated with inhibited aggregatory responses to thrombin (for forskolin treated platelets) and the thromboxane mimetic U44069 (for GR 32191B treated platelets). Yohimbine was antiarrhythmic in the presence and absence of platelets, suggesting direct myocardial effects, but BN 52021 had no antiarrhythmic effects.

Myocardial ischaemia causes platelet activation resulting in electrophysiological and arrhythmogenic effects. PAF receptor antagonism does not prevent these effects, but inhibition of platelet reactivity, platelet thromboxane receptor antagonism, and myocardial catecholamine depletion are effective. These findings suggest that the arrhythmogenic effects of platelet activation during myocardial ischaemia are principally mediated by a thromboxane dependent mechanism, while catecholamine release has a contributory role.