Intrathoracic platelet accumulation in the guinea-pig induced by intravenous administration of arachidonic acid--effect of cyclooxygenase and thromboxane synthetase inhibitors.

Intravenous administration of arachidonic acid to guinea-pigs caused a dose-related, rapid accumulation of 51Cr-labelled platelets in the thorax. Inhibitors of cyclooxygenase inhibited the platelet accumulation, induced by arachidonic acid (30 mg/kg), at doses which did not alter the thoracic blood volume (as measured by 131I-labelled human albumin). Thromboxane synthetase inhibitors had different effects on platelet accumulation depending on the dose. CGS 12970 (3 mg/kg) and N(1-carboxyheptyl) imidazole (100 mg/kg) reduced platelet accumulation. High doses of CGS 12970 and CGS 13080 caused an apparent enhancement of platelet accumulation which was associated with pooling of blood in the thorax, as measured by either 131I-labelled human albumin or 51Cr-labelled erythrocytes. This increase in thoracic blood volume was abolished if the guinea-pigs were also pretreated with diclofenac (1 mg/kg) in addition to the thromboxane synthetase inhibitor. Increases in thoracic blood volume were also obtained following infusions of PGI2 but not PGD2 or PGE2.