Antiplatelet effects of prostacyclin and nitric oxide in patients with type I diabetes and ischemic or edematous retinopathy

• Published in: Platelets (Edinburgh) Vol. 12; no. 4; pp. 210 - 217
• Main Authors: De La Cruz, J P, Moreno, A, Guerrero, A, de La Cuesta, F S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Informa UK Ltd 2001; Taylor & Francis
• Subjects: Adult; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 - blood; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 - drug therapy; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 - physiopathology; Diabetic Retinopathy - blood; Diabetic Retinopathy - drug therapy; Diabetic Retinopathy - physiopathology; Epoprostenol - pharmacology; Epoprostenol - therapeutic use; Female; Humans; Male; Nitric Oxide - blood; Platelet Activation - drug effects; Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors - pharmacology; Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors - therapeutic use
• ISSN: 0953-7104; 1369-1635
• DOI: 10.1080/09537100120058748

The aim of this study was investigate prostacyclin and nitric oxide (NO) and their platelet second messengers cAMP and cGMP, in patients with type I diabetes with or without retinopathy. We compared 20 healthy volunteers and 97 patients with type I diabetes: 24 with no signs of diabetic retinopathy (DR), 43 with ischemicproliferative DR, and 30 with edematous DR. The following parameters were recorded: platelet aggregometry, nitrites/nitrates, 6-keto-prostaglandin-F 1 f , and intraplatelet cAMP and cGMP. Platelet aggregation was greater in patients with edematous DR. The platelets in patients with diabetes were more resistant to inhibition by prostaglandin E 1 or sodium nitropruside. Nitrite concentration in patients with ischemic-proliferative DR was 80% lower than the value in healthy controls, but there was no significant difference between the control group and patients with edematous DR. In the latter group, stimulation of neutrophils with L-arginine increased nitrite + nitrate production by 44 - 3.6%, whereas in patients with ischemic-proliferative DR, the increase was 9.8 - 0.8%. We conclude that NO production is higher in patients with type I diabetes and edematous retinopathy than in those with ischemic-proliferative retinopathy. This finding, together with the possibly greater production of free radicals, may explain the greater impairment of platelet function in the former patients.