Effect of vitamin E on platelet aggregation in diabetes mellitus.

Vitamin E is known to be an inhibitor of platelet prostaglandin production and aggregation. The rate of platelet aggregation induced by adenosine diphosphate was significantly increased in diabetics with proliferative retinopathy, and the enhanced production of thromboxane B2, a stable metabolite of thromboxane A2, was demonstrated in those patients. On the other hand, vitamin E was significantly reduced in platelets obtained from diabetics as compared to age matched control subjects. In addition, it was shown that vitamin E content in platelets examined in diabetic and control subjects inversely correlated with both the rate of platelet aggregation and thromboxane B2 production during aggregation. It is suggested that the reduced vitamin E levels in diabetic platelets can contribute to the mechanisms of the enhanced platelet thromboxane A2 production and aggregation which lead to the development of vascular complications.