MECHANISM OF 5-HYDROXYTRYPTAMINE RELEASE INDUCED BY BACTERIAL LIPOPOLYSACCHARIDE FROM BLOOD PLATELETS

II. COMPARISON OF MORPHOLOGICAL CHANGES IN PLATELETS INDUCED BY VARIOUS RELEASERS

Abstract

Previous works in this laboratory (1, 2) have demonstrated that bacterial pyrogenic lipopolysaccharide (LPS) caused a decrease in 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) content of rabbit brain and spleen. Furthermore, it was also shown that LPS induces 5-HT release from rabbit platelet only in the presence of Ca ion and plasma component which is destroyed at 56°C (3). The present report describes morphological studies on the effect of several 5-HT releasers, including LPS, on the rabbit platelets in vitro.