Nitroprusside in vitro inhibits platelet aggregation and intracellular calcium translocation. Effect of haemoglobin

The biologically final active compound of nitrovasodilators is now supposed to be nitric oxide (NO), a labile substance identical to EDRF. The effects of nitroprusside on platelet functions were studied in vitro. Platelet aggregation induced by several stimuli (ADP, collagen, arachidonic acid and PAF) was inhibited by increasing concentrations of the drug (1–50 μM); interestingly, the potency of nitroprusside is higher when PAF is employed as stimulating agent in comparison with the other agonists (ED 50=2 μM for ADP, 2.5 μM for A.A., 4.5 μM for collagen and 0.3 μM for PAF-induced aggregations). The concomitant addition of haemoglobin is able to reverse the inhibitory effect of nitroprusside, according to the view that haemoglobin possesses a high affinity for NO, thus antagonizing the effect of this compound. Nitroprusside was also able to inhibit intracellular calcium translocation, as studied with the Quin 2 technique, induced by PAF and arachidonic acid. Fron these observations the hypothesis may be suggested that nitroprusside inhibits platelet functions by mimicking the endogenous NO, and that the intracellular calcium metabolism is involved in the inhibitory activity of the drug.