The effects of pentoxifylline on equine platelet aggregation.
- Journal Article
Summary
This research aimed to investigate the effects of pentoxifylline (PTX) on equine platelet aggregation. Contrary to the researchers’ hypothesis, PTX was found to hasten the onset of collagen-induced platelet aggregation in equine whole blood, but had no effect on the rate of aggregation, nor did it affect ADP-dependent platelet aggregation.
Research Objectives
The study aimed to investigate the effects of Pentoxifylline (PTX) on platelet aggregation in equine blood. The researchers hypothesized that PTX would decrease platelet aggregation, based on its known inhibitory effects on human platelet aggregation and inflammatory cytokines. This premise is of interest since PTX is widely used in the treatment of equine endotoxemia, navicular disease, and laminitis, ailments believed to result from microthrombosis.
Methods
- The study involved seven healthy adult horses from a research herd.
- The research used whole blood impedance aggregometry, a method of testing platelet function, with equine blood incubated with varying concentrations of PTX.
- Adenosine diphosphate (ADP) and collagen were used to trigger platelet aggregation for the experiment.
Results
Contrary to the original hypothesis, the results indicated:
- PTX significantly shortened the onset time of collagen-induced equine platelet aggregation.
- However, PTX did not affect the maximum slope of resistance change (dR/dt) and total resistance change of collagen-induced platelet aggregation.
- No effects of PTX on ADP-induced onset time of aggregation, dR/dt, or total resistance change were observed.
Conclusion
From the findings, it appears that the initial hypothesis was incorrect. PTX hastened the onset of collagen-induced platelet aggregation in equine whole blood, but had no effect on the rate of aggregation. Also, PTX did not impact ADP-dependent equine platelet aggregation. Considering these results, the research concludes that PTX may not be a therapeutically effective option to reduce platelet aggregation in horses.
Cite This Article
Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA. bgk2@cornell.edu
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
- Horses / blood
- Pentoxifylline / pharmacology
- Platelet Aggregation / drug effects
Citations
This article has been cited 3 times.- Thomason JM, Archer TM, Wills RW, Mackin AJ. Effects of pentoxifylline on canine platelet aggregation. Vet Med Sci 2021 Nov;7(6):2178-2184.
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- Miglio A, Falcinelli E, Cappelli K, Mecocci S, Mezzasoma AM, Antognoni MT, Gresele P. Effect of Regular Training on Platelet Function in Untrained Thoroughbreds. Animals (Basel) 2024 Jan 27;14(3).
