Platelet taurine and platelet aggregation were measured in an attempt to clarify the physiological function of taurine in the platelet in both healthy volunteers and essential hypertensives. Platelet taurine was significantly low in untreated essential hypertension as compared to normals. Platelet taurine and mean blood pressure exhibited a significantly negative correlation (r=-0.507, p<0.01) between normals and untreated essential hypertension, while mean platelet volume was significantly great in untreated essential hypertension as compared to normals. Platelet aggregation in response to epinephrine (0.2μg/ml) and ADP (2.3μM) was significantly (p<0.01) great in untreated essential hypertension, suggesting a possible taurine defect. Significant positive correlation (r=0.311, p<0.01) was obtained between mean blood pressure and ADP (2.3μM) platelet aggregation in both normals and untreated essential hypertension. The administration of taurine 6g/day per os 5 months normalized epinephrine and ADP platelet aggregation in 10 patients.
These findings suggest that essential hypertension may result from a insufficient metabolism of taurine, which leads to enhanced platelet aggregation possibly resulting in myocardial infarction and cerebral thrombosis, and that taurine could be useful as a platelet antiaggregative agent.
