Effect of hirudin on platelet deposition to an artificial surface during low-stress shear flow of whole blood

• Published in: Biomaterials Vol. 14; no. 11; pp. 865 - 870
• Main Authors: Alkhamis, Taha M., Beissinger, Richard L., Chediak, Juan R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier Ltd 01.09.1993
• Subjects: Adenosine Diphosphate - metabolism; artificial surface; Biocompatible Materials; Blood Flow Velocity; Hemolysis; hirudin; Hirudins - pharmacology; Humans; Platelet adhesion; Platelet Adhesiveness - drug effects; platelet aggregation; Platelet Aggregation - drug effects; Platelet Count - drug effects; Polymers; Polytetrafluoroethylene; shear flow; thrombin; Viscosity; Platelet adhesion; thrombin; shear flow; artificial surface; hirudin; platelet aggregation
• ISSN: 0142-9612; 1878-5905
• DOI: 10.1016/0142-9612(93)90009-Q

The effect of hirudin, a known inhibitor of thrombin, was evaluated for whole blood samples in terms of platelet deposition/adhesion to a non-biological test surface (tetrafluoroethylene-propylene copolymer), adenosine diphosphate (ADP) release and reduction in platelet count during laminar shear flow for a shear rate to 5680 s −1 (corresponding to a shear stress of about 150 dynes/cm 2). Experiments were done in a cone-and-plate viscometer for samples of whole blood with and without the addition of hirudin. Whole blood samples containing hirudin showed about a 50% reduction in platelet surface coverage compared with blood samples not containing hirudin. Results on low-stress, shear-induced release of ADP showed that for shear rates of 2860 s −1 and above there was an increase in ADP release for the blood samples not containing hirudin compared with the hirudin-treated samples. However, no differences in haemoglobin leakage from red blood cells as well as residual platelet count following shear were observed between both types of blood samples.