Serotonin antagonism improves platelet inhibition in clopidogrel low-responders after coronary stent placement: an in vitro pilot study

PLoS One. 2012;7(2):e32656. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0032656. Epub 2012 Feb 27.

Abstract

Increased residual platelet reactivity remains a burden for coronary artery disease (CAD) patients who received a coronary stent and do not respond sufficiently to treatment with acetylsalicylic acid and clopidogrel. We hypothesized that serotonin antagonism reduces high on-treatment platelet reactivity. Whole blood impedance aggregometry was performed with arachidonic acid (AA, 0.5 mM) and adenosine diphosphate (ADP, 6.5 µM) in addition to different concentrations of serotonin (1-100 µM) in whole blood from 42 CAD patients after coronary stent placement and 10 healthy subjects. Serotonin increased aggregation dose-dependently in CAD patients who responded to clopidogrel treatment: After activation with ADP, aggregation increased from 33.7 ± 1.3% to 40.9 ± 2.0% in the presence of 50 µM serotonin (p<0.05) and to 48.2 ± 2.0% with 100 µM serotonin (p<0.001). The platelet serotonin receptor antagonist ketanserin decreased ADP-induced aggregation significantly in clopidogrel low-responders (from 59.9 ± 3.1% to 37.4 ± 3.5, p<0.01), but not in clopidogrel responders. These results were confirmed with light transmission aggregometry in platelet-rich plasma in a subset of patients. Serotonin hence increased residual platelet reactivity in patients who respond to clopidogrel after coronary stent placement. In clopidogrel low-responders, serotonin receptor antagonism improved platelet inhibition, almost reaching responder levels. This may justify further investigation of triple antiplatelet therapy with anti-serotonergic agents.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Aspirin / pharmacology
  • Blood Platelets / drug effects*
  • Clopidogrel
  • Coronary Artery Disease / drug therapy
  • Female
  • Humans
  • In Vitro Techniques
  • Ketanserin / chemistry
  • Light
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Myocardial Infarction / metabolism
  • Pilot Projects
  • Platelet Aggregation / drug effects
  • Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors / pharmacology
  • Serotonin / chemistry*
  • Serotonin Antagonists / pharmacology*
  • Stents*
  • Ticlopidine / analogs & derivatives*
  • Ticlopidine / pharmacology
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors
  • Serotonin Antagonists
  • Serotonin
  • Ketanserin
  • Clopidogrel
  • Ticlopidine
  • Aspirin