The Influence of Red Blood Cells on the Effects of Aspirin or Sulphinpyrazone on Platelet Adherence to Damaged Rabbit Aorta

The effects of acetylsalicylic acid (ASA; aspirin) or sulphinpyrazone (SP) on the adherence of washed rabbit platelets to the subendotheilial surface of an everted aorta mounted on a probe or to the subendothelial surface of a rabbit aorta attached to a perfusion apparatus were examined. ASA had no effect on platelet adherence to a damaged aorta perfused with a suspension of washed platelets in a medium containing 10% red blood cells (RBC); SP was slightly inhibitory at high concentration. When damaged rabbit aortae were everted on a probe and rotated in a suspension of washed platelets to which RBC were added to a packed cell volume of 10%, both ASA and SP inhibited platelet adherence to the damaged vessel wall. When the PCV was 40%, ASA was not inhibitory and SP reduced platelet adherence only at very high concentrations. It is therefore unlikely that, at the concentrations achieved in man, SP exerts an effect on platelet adherence. The different effects of ASA and SP on platelet survival do not appear attributable to their effects on platelet adherence.