Br. J. clin. Pharmac. (1985), 20, 191-196 Effects of verapamil and nisoldipine on human platelets: in vivo and in vitro studies C. R. JONES, F. PASANISI, H. L. ELLIOTT & J. L. REID Department of Materia Medica, Stobhill General Hospital, Glasgow G21 3UW, UK 1 Inhibition of platelet aggregation was observed after 4 days of oral dosing with the calcium antagonists, verapamil (160 mg) or nisoldipine (20 mg) but not following acute dosing. These effects were observed at plasma concentrations that had no effect on platelet aggregation when investigated in vitro. 2 Verapamil added in vitro inhibited adrenaline-induced platelet aggregation at relatively low concentrations (IC50 16 j,M) but only inhibited aggregation to adenosine diphosphate at very high concentrations (IC50 700 I.LM). 3 Nisoldipine, a dihydropyridine, added in vitro had no effect on platelet aggregation induced by adenosine diphosphate but inhibited by 67%, the secondary phase of platelet aggregation induced by adrenaline. 4 Verapamil but not nisoldipine displaced [3H]-yohimbine from the specific binding sites on human platelets, suggesting an interaction with a2-adrenoceptors. 5 Inhibition of adrenaline-induced aggregation by verapamil in vitro may be a result of antagonism of cx2-adrenoceptors but long term treatment with both verapamil and nisoldipine also inhibits platelet aggregation mechanisms other than by ac2-adrenoceptor blockade. Keywords platelets verapamil nisoldipine a-adrenoceptor blockade Introduction Calcium ions are involv'ed in several stages of calcium associated with agonist activation (Van- platelet activation including platelet adhesion to houtte, 1982; Rosenberg et al., 1979) and the endothelium, platelet shape change, the excita- mobilisation of intracellular calcium from sites tion contraction coupling in the release of vaso- of storage (Wang et al., 1984). Enhanced plate- active substances and the synthesis of the meta- let aggregation to a variety of stimuli has been bolites of arachidonic acid (Ardlie, 1982). found in both hypertension (Mehta & Mehta, Similarities exist between the role of calcium in 1981) and ischaemic heart disease (Burns & platelet activation and in contraction of vascular Frishman, 1983). In view of the key role of smooth muscle. In smooth muscle calcium an- calcium in platelet aggregation, calcium an- tagonist drugs will reduce both the entry of tagonists may exert antiplatelet activity which Correspondence: Dr C. R. Jones, University Department of Materia Medica, Stobhill General Hospital, Glasgow, G21 3UW 191 192 C. R. Jones et al. may expand the therapeutic role of these agents. adjusted by platelet poor plasma after counting The aim of the present study was to examine the in a Coulter counter at a wavelength of 880 nM. antiplatelet actions of two structurally different In vitro additions were made of adenosine calcium antagonists, the dihydropyridine deriva- diphosphate (ADP) (Sigma Chemical Company) tive nisoldipine and verapamil. or (-)-adrenaline bitartrate (Sigma Chemical Company) dissolved in 0.9% saline with 1 mM ascorbic acid and diluted from stock solution Methods stored at -700 C. A dose response curve to adrenaline was produced by plotting the concen- General protocol tration of adrenaline (11-12 concentrations) against the maximum rate ofaggregation and the This crossover, randomised treatment order results fitted by an iterative technique to a study enrolled nine healthy normotensive males, generalised model of the Hill equation to obtain aged 20-32 years, who were non smokers. One parameter estimates for maximum aggregation subject was excluded from the analysis because (Rmax) and the concentration of adrenaline re- of an allergic reaction to verapamil. None was quired to produce 50% maximum aggregation taking any concurrent prescription or non pre- (C50 ALM). For determination of inhibitory re- scription drugs, including salicylates for at least 2 sponses the response was plotted against the weeks prior to the study and all subjects abstained concentration of antagonist required to cause from alcohol during the study period. The study 50% inhibition, at agonist concentrations of I ,UM protocol was approved by the Research and for adenosine diphosphate and 5 FM for adrena- Ethics Committee ofthe Northern District ofthe line. Verapamil was dissolved in 0.9% saline and Greater Glasgow Health Board and all subjects nisoldipine in 1% ethanol in platelet poor plasma. gave written informed consent. Each subject All experiments with nisoldipine were performed was studied on six separate occasions when they under sodium light as this dihydropyridine is had been receiving treatment with inactive photolabile in ultraviolet light. placebo tablets (two occasions), after the first dose of verapamil (160 mg) (Abbott UK), after a2-adrenoceptor binding assay verapamil (80 mg twice daily for 4 days), after the first dose of nisoldipine (20 mg) (Bayer UK Platelet rich plasma was spun at 1700g for 15 min Ltd) and nisoldipine (20 mg daily for 4 days). at 40 C to produce a platelet pellet. The pellet Treatment order was randomly assigned and the was suspended in 0.1% EDTA 150 mM NaCl pH volunteer unaware of when active treatment or 7.4 to give a platelet concentration of 100 x 109 placebo was being given. There was a 12 day platelets 1-1. Whole platelet suspensions (0.8 ml) washout period between treatments. Blood were incubated for 20 min at 250 C with 6.5 nM samples were withdrawn from an indwelling [3H]-yohimbine in triplicate with varying con- cannula in a forearm vein 2 h after calcium centrations of nisoldipine and verapamil. Non antagonist administration. The subjects had specific binding was defined by 1 puM phentol- been recumbent for at least 2.5 h. amine; incubations were terminated with 20 ml Plasma verapamil and norverapamil, a major of ice cold Tris (50 mM pH 7.4) through a Milli- metabolite, concentrations were measured by pore multiport filtration apparatus on to What- h.p.l.c. with fluorescence detection (Cole et al., man GFC filters and bound radioactivity deter- 1981). mined by liquid scintillation counting. The Ki was calculated from the IC50 values for inhibition Platelet preparation and aggregation of binding of the a2-adrenoceptor ligand [3H]- yohimbine which were found from dose-response Venous blood samples were anticoagulated with curves for verapamil inhibition of [3H]-yohimbine one volume of 3.28% sodium citrate to nine binding and converted into Ki values according volumes of blood and centrifuged at 180 g for 15 to the equation of Cheng & Prussof (1973): min at 200 C to prepare platelet rich plasma (PRP). Platelet poor plasma was prepared by IC50 further centrifugation of the remaining blood at 1700g for 15 min. Platelet aggregation was quan- S/KD + 1 tified by the turbidometric method of Born (1962). The change in optical density through IC50 is the concentration of the competing agent the samples was measured in a Payton dual which inhibits specific [3H]-yohimbine binding channel aggregometer. Aggregation studies were by 50%. S is the concentration of [3H]-yohimbine performed at platelet counts of 300 x 109 1-1 in the assay (6.25 nM) and KD is the equilibrium Verapamil and nisoldipine on human platelets 193 0 I dissociation constant for [3H]-yohimbine binding 'i determined from saturation experiments from --.- -.11- - -1,-- -r-I the six subjects whose blood was used in the II vIal- -It displacement KD nM (2.42 + 1.02, n = 6). Statistical analysis Statistical analysis was by paired Student's t-test with P < 0.0125 (0.05 . 4) taken as significant to allow for multiple comparisons (Ingelfinger et al., 1983). All results are expressed as mean Tl- + s.d. - I I __I_ _.I i - - I _r, -L crir'--I Results ml -- I -4 I -r, I_| -4- -Ic 1i . ---J- In vitro studies - JII I I - r - - A. Ia . a Platelet aggregation Verapamil inhibited the I . -j I Go I i - i aggregatory response to adrenaline. The IC50 I . -I mi f I I+ was 16.8 ± 2.6 ,uM. The aggregatory response to I I I- I co I .--j . 'k adenosine diphosphate was also inhibited but -I the concentrations to inhibit the response by ---II 50% was over 40-fold higher at 723 + 102 ,IM IL (Figure 1). Nisoldipine at a concentration of up Cb to 100 ,uM had no effect on the primary aggrega- Figure 2 A representative platelet aggregation tracing tory response to adrenaline concentration range for the inhibition of secondary platelet aggregation by but caused a 67% ± 13% 'inhibition of the nisoldipine; the ordinate represents optical density secondary aggregation response to 5 FIM adrena- and the time scale of 1 min marked for the abscissa. line when with the control Top tracing adrenaline (5 AIM arrow) in the presence (Figure 2) compared of nisoldipine (100 AiM) (Q). Bottom tracing adrenaline response in the presence of vehicle. There was (5 p.M arrow) in the presence of vehicle (0). no alteration of aggregatory response to 1 JIM adenosine diphosphate. In vivo studies Radioligand binding Verapamil inhibited the binding of [3H]-yohimbine to platelets with an Platelet aggregation Neither nisoldipine nor IC50 of 2.73 ± 0.26 JIM (Ki = 0.75 JIM) whereas verapamil had any significant effect on the nisoldipine did not affect [3H]-yohimbine bind- aggregatory responses to adenosine diphosphate ing (Figure 3). either after acute dosing or after 4 days treat- ment (Table 1). Verapamil for 4 days altered the 100 - aggregatory dose response curve to adrenaline (Figure 4) with significant reductions in both the - maximal rate of aggregation from 47 ± 18 to 28 1.-Cc42 80 *0 + 16 AOD/min (P < 0.002) and increases in the C50 for adrenaline induced aggregation from :0 (D 60 .0_ 0.77 ± 0.25 to 1.14 ± 0.54 JIM (P < 0.003). Nisoldipine after 4 days caused an increase in the ' 40 .0 40 C50 value but no change in the maximal rate of C aggregation.