Effect of heparin on platelet aggregation.

The effect of heparin on platelet aggregation was systematically examined on platelets in plasma (PRP), as well as on gel-filtered, washed, and formaldehyde-fixed platelets. Results indicate that, although heparin causes a mild potentiation of platelet aggregation in the PRP systems, a significant inhibitory activity is observed when heparin is added to isolated platelets. This inhibitory activity appears to be specific and not related to the impurities in the heparin preparations, as heparinase, as well as protamine, effectively neutralizes the heparin-mediated inhibitory activity on platelet aggregation. Although heparin-mediated inhibitory activity can be demonstrated in the presence of a number of different agonists (ADP, arachidonic acid, thrombin, Ionophore A23187, epinephrine, and ristocetin), the most pronounced inhibition is seen in the presence of ristocetin. Further studies show that heparin enhances thromboxane generation in isolated platelets. Platelets pretreated with heparin, however, fail to respond to preformed thromboxane. These findings suggest that, in addition to the potentiation of thromboxane production in platelets, heparin may also attribute some change(s) to the platelet(s)/platelet membrane, which interferes with their ability to respond to the agonists of platelet aggregation. This antiaggregatory activity of heparin was found to be inhibited by a factor(s) present in plasma but not in serum.