On the relationship between the inhibition of thrombin stimulated aggregation and thromboxane formation in isolated platelets treated with beta-adrenoceptor blocking drugs.

Thromboxane B2 (TXB2) formation in isolated, thrombin-stimulated rat platelets was time dependent and appeared after 5 s of incubation. Beta-adrenoceptor blocking (BAB) drugs inhibited thrombin-stimulated TXB2 formation in the following rank order of potency: metipranolol approximately alprenolol approximately propranolol > oxprenolol > practolol. Atenolol was ineffective in inhibiting TXB2 production in stimulated platelets. The inhibition of thrombin-stimulated TXB2 formation by BAB drugs correlated with their inhibitory effect on thrombin-stimulated platelet aggregation, arachidonic acid liberation from membrane phospholipids and with their membrane fluidization. The higher was the liposolubility of the beta-adrenoceptor blocking drugs investigated, the higher was their inhibition of stimulated TXB2 formation. Hydrophilic, selective atenolol and practolol revealed slight or no inhibitory effect on stimulated thromboxane production.