Objective: To investigate the effect of dauricine on the irreversible platelet aggregability of patients with mitral stenosis (MS).
Methods: Glycoprotein IV (GP IV) and thrombospondin (TSP) levels on the membrane surface of the stationary platelet or platelet activated by thrombin (0.05 U/ml, 0.1 U/ml, 0.5 U/ml, 1.0 U/ml) in 16 patients with MS were measured with flow cytometric method and compared with those of the healthy (14 cases).
Results: The GP IV level of stationary platelet, the GP IV and TSP levels of activated platelet in MS patients were higher than those in the healthy significantly (P < 0.01), while the TSP level of stationary platelet was not different between the patients and the healthy (P > 0.05). The GP IV redistribution on the activated platelet surface was apparently inhibited by dauricine (50 mumol/L, P < 0.05, P < 0.01) and the release of TSP from intracellular alpha-granules was inhibited by dauricine only in the activated platelets induced by thrombin of low concentration (0.05 U/ml and 0.1 U/ml, P < 0.05, P < 0.01), inhibiting effect was not found in those activated with high concentration of thrombin.
Conclusion: The activity and reactivity to thrombin of platelets increased in MS patients, and dauricine was able to reduce the occurrence of the irreversible platelet aggregation in MS patients.