Impaired phospholipase C activity is involved in the hyperreactivity of platelets in primary hypertension.

Phospholipase C activity, which influences the control of platelet physiological responses, was investigated in platelets of human essential hypertensives and of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) compared with appropriate normotensive controls, in order to determine whether this enzyme activity could account for the enhanced platelet responses exhibited by hypertensive subjects. After 32P-labelling of cells, the enzyme activity was estimated by measuring the variations in 32P-phosphatidic acid. In resting platelets no difference was observed between hypertensives and normotensives. In contrast, the thrombin-induced increase in 32P-phosphatidic acid in platelets of human hypertensives and of SHR was 30% higher than in controls, suggesting hypersensitivity to phospholipase C in hypertensives. Since, as revealed by phorbol-stimulated phosphorylation of 47-kilodalton protein, intrinsic protein kinase C activity is similar in SHR and controls, our data strengthen the hypothesis than hypersensitivity to phospholipase C influences the hyperreactivity of platelets in primary hypertension.