The Exchangeable Splenic Platelet Pool in Response to Intravenous Infusion of Isoprenaline

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Eight healthy volunteers and 4 asplenic subjects, in whom autologous platelets were labeled with radioactive sodium chromate, received i.v. infusions of isoprenaline in a dose of 0.03 .mu.g .times. kg-1 .times. min-1 over a period of 6 min. In the former group these infusions caused a significant decrease in the concentration of labeled as well as unlabeled platelets in the peripheral blood. Body surface countings showed that a significant increase in the count rate over the spleen occurred concomitantly with the decrease in the circulating platelet-bound radioactivity (PBR). In the group of asplenic subjects no change in PBR occurred. Adrenergic .beta.-receptor stimulation causes a transitory trapping of platelets in the exchangeable splenic platelet pool.