Platelet membrane fluidity and platelet membrane lipid pattern in essential hypertension.

In a group of subjects with essential hypertension platelets were studied in resting conditions: platelet membrane fluidity was measured with the fluorescent probe 1.4-(trimethylamino)-phenyl-4-phenylhexatriene (TMA-DPH), platelet membrane cholesterol/phospholipid ratio was evaluated separating the membrane lipids with column chromatography, and platelet membrane individual phospholipids were determined using two-dimensional thin-layer chromatography. From the obtained results, it is evident that platelet membrane fluidity does not differentiate normals from hypertensives; platelet membrane cholesterol/phospholipid ratio is increased in hypertensives, while of the platelet membrane individual phospholipids, only the phosphatidylcholine is increased. In normals and hypertensives, no relation is evident between platelet membrane fluidity, platelet membrane lipid pattern, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure values.