Platelet model for halothane-induced effects on nucleotide metabolism applied to malignant hyperthermia.

A relatively non-invasive screening technique using venous blood analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was developed to assess the effects of halothane on platelet nucleotide metabolism. Platelets were selected for study because of their contractile characteristics and many metabolic similarities to voluntary muscle. Platelets of 22 patients who previously had a documented clinical episode of malignant hyperthermia demonstrated a significant change in their nucleotide profile due to halothane exposure compared to normal subjects and 10 patients with musculo-skeletal and metabolic disorders. These results showed 100% correlation with the skeletal muscle contracture test for malignant hyperthermia (PHB). The platelet-halothane bioassay is highly reproducible and specific for detecting malignant hyperthermia with a significant degree of expression at the time of venipuncture. The assay deserves further study as an aid to the diagnosis of the degree of malignant hyperthermia susceptibility.