Possible participation of adenosine 5'-diphosphate, arachidonic acid and paf-acether in the platelet pro-aggregating effect of uncontrolled insulin-dependent diabetic erythrocytes in vitro.

The red blood cells (RBC) from uncontrolled insulin-dependent diabetics (U.IDD) induce aggregation of platelets from control subjects. This effect was not observed when using platelets made unsensitive to adenosine 5'-diphosphate (ADP), arachidonic acid (AA) or paf-acether. Since RBC from U.IDD are less deformable than those from control subjects, we treated normal RBC in vitro with glutaraldehyde. These rigid RBC were used to study aggregation of normal platelets and of those unsensitive to ADP, AA or paf-acether. Results obtained with glutaraldehyde-treated RBC were comparable to those obtained with RBC from U.IDD, i.e. aggregation was obtained with untreated platelets but not with platelets unsensitive to ADP, AA or paf-acether. It is hypothesized that aggregation of control platelets induced by RBC from U.IDD is purely mechanical at its origin but is ultimately mediated by ADP, AA or paf-acether.