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Updated: Aug 2, 2026

Purification of Platelets from Mouse Blood
Published on: May 7, 2019
Iohexol, platelet activation and thrombosis. I. Iohexol-induced platelet secretion does not affect thrombus formation
K S Sakariassen1, R M Barstad, M J Hamers
1Nycomed Imaging AS, Bioreg Research, Oslo, Norway.
Background:
The nonionic monomer iohexol triggers in vitro platelet secretion of beta-thromboglobulin (beta-TG). This iohexol platelet activation may promote intravascular thrombosis. We studied this relationship by employing a human model of collagen-induced platelet thrombus formation at arterial flow. The ionic dimer ioxaglate, the nonionic dimer iodixanol, and glucose were included.
Methods And Results:
In vitro platelet activation as measured by beta-TG secretion following a 1-min incubation of native blood with 50 vol% of iohexol was significant. Glucose solutions of 300, 580 and 825 mosmol, corresponding to the osmolalities of respectively iodixanol, ioxaglate and iohexol, increased the beta-TG secretion in parallel with the osmolalities. Ioxaglate and iodixanol were virtually inert. Continuous infusion of iohexol or 580 or 825 mosmol glucose (40 vol%) into flowing native blood at an arterial wall shear rate of 2600 s-1 in an ex vivo collagen-induced platelet thrombus formation device triggered pronounced secretion of beta-TG. However, the platelet thrombus formation in blood mixed with iohexol was within the same range as that observed with ioxaglate or iodixanol. Increasing glucose osmolality induced increasing beta-TG secretion, which paralleled gradually decreasing platelet thrombus formation.
Conclusion:
Iohexol and 580 or 825 mosmol glucose trigger platelet secretion of beta-TG. This secretion is not associated with enhanced collagen-induced platelet thrombus formation at high arterial shear.
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