The Human Blood Platelet as a Model for Studying Interactions of Ethanol with Membrane Lipids

Christopher G. Fenn, John M. Littleton

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

10 Scopus citations

Abstract

The effect of ethanol on human blood platelet aggregation is generally inhibitory, but aggregation caused by arachidonic acid is either unaffected or potentiated by ethanol. Of the other aggrega‐tory agents tested, the calcium ionophore A23187, collagen, and thrombin were most inhibited by ethanol. These results suggest that in the case of collagen and ionophore A23187 ethanol may act to inhibit aggregation at some point between the rise in cytosolic calcium and the cleavage of membrane phospholipids associated with the platelet release reaction. A similar spectrum of inhibition was produced by the incorporation of unsaturated fats into the platelet or by reduction of divalent cations by addition of EDTA to the external medium. Platelets in which unsaturated fats were incorporated were less susceptible to inhibition by ethanol than those into which saturated fats had been incorporated.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)59-64
Number of pages6
JournalAlcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research
Volume7
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 1983

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Medicine (miscellaneous)
  • Toxicology
  • Psychiatry and Mental health

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