Effects of nitrovasodilators on platelet cyclic nucleotide levels in rabbit blood; role for cyclic AMP in synergistic inhibition of platelet function by SIN-1 and prostaglandin E1.

Nitrovasodilators increase both cyclic GMP and cyclic AMP in isolated platelets (Maurice DH, Haslam RJ. Mol Pharmacol 1990;37:671-81). To determine whether this occurs in blood, platelet cyclic[3H]GMP and cyclic [3H]AMP were measured in prelabeled rabbit platelets resuspended in modified Tyrode's solution or citrated blood. In the former medium, increases in cyclic [3H]nucleotides in response to nitroprusside (NP) and 3-morpholinosydnonimine (SIN-1) were maximal by 1 min; in blood, maximal increases were observed only after 10 min and were much smaller. In blood, SIN-1 was more effective than the same concentration of NP. After 10 min, 100 microM SIN-1 increased platelet cyclic[3H )GMP by 475 +/- 58% and cyclic[3H]AMP by 29 +/- 7% (means +/- SEM, 18 experiments). Supraadditive increases in platelet cyclic [3H]AMP in blood were observed when SIN-1 was combined with prostaglandin E1 (PGE1). Thus, after 10 min, SIN-1 (100 microM), PGE1 (20 nM), and SIN-1 + PGE1 increased cyclic[3H]AMP by 25 +/- 7, 35 +/- 6, and 130 +/- 17%, respectively (four experiments). In the same experiments, release of platelet [14C]serotonin by platelet-activating factor (PAF) was inhibited by 22 +/- 5, 2 +/- 2, and 61 +/- 5%, respectively. Increases in platelet cyclic[3H]GMP with SIN-1 were unaffected by PGE1. These results suggest that although cyclic GMP may mediate the effects of SIN-1 alone on platelet function, cyclic AMP mediates the synergistic action of SIN-1 and PGE1. M&B 22,948 (a selective cyclic GMP phosphodiesterase inhibitor) enhanced the increases in platelet cyclic[3H]GMP and cyclic[3H]AMP caused by SIN-1 and also increased the associated inhibition of [14C]serotonin release. M&B 22,948 also augmented the synergistic increases in cyclic[3H]AMP and inhibition of platelet function caused by SIN-1 + PGE1. The results show that a selected nitrovasodilator (e.g., SIN-1), a prostaglandin and a cyclic GMP phosphodiesterase inhibitor can exert synergistic effects on platelets in blood. This may be relevant to the pharmacologic management of thromboembolic disease.