Heparin counteracts the antiaggregating effect of prostacyclin by potentiating platelet aggregation.

It has recently been reported that heparin neutralizes the inhibitory effect of prostacyclin (PGI2) on human platelet aggregation. The mechanism of this interaction has not yet been unequivocally established. We present here evidence that heparin (Liquemin Roche) does not react directly with PGI2 but counteracts its inhibitory effect by potentiating platelet aggregation. In the absence of heparin, PGI2 was a less effective inhibitor of platelet aggregation induced by the combination of ADP and serotonin than by ADP alone. Moreover, the inhibitory effect of PGI2 was similarly reduced when increasing the concentrations of ADP (in the absence of heparin). The lack of a specific interaction between heparin and PGI2 is supported by the observation that, in the presence of heparin, other prostaglandins such as PGD2 and PGE1 and a non-prostanoid compound such as adenosine also appeared to lose their inhibitory potency. It is concluded that heparin opposes platelet aggregation inhibitory effect of PGI2 by enhancement of platelet aggregation.