MEPACRINE, A TOOL FOR INVESTIGATING 5-HYDROXYTRYPTAMINE ORGANELLES OF BLOOD-PLATELETS BY FLUORESCENCE MICROSCOPY

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  • 1 January 1977
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 89  (1) , 200-206
Abstract
In the blood platelets of various species [human, rabbits, cats, guinea-pigs and rats] exposed to mepacrine, the average number of green-yellow fluorescent granules (probably identical with the 5-hydroxytryptamine [5-HT] storage organelles) corresponded to that of flashes emitted by the platelets on prolonged irradiation with violet-blue light. In platelets of fawn-hooded rats the number of granules did not markedly differ from that of normal rat platelets, but the fluorescence intensity and the uptake of mepacrine in vitro showed a marked decrease and the flashes were less numerous. The heavy population of human platelets exhibited considerably more granular structures than the light population. In normal mepacrine-loaded platelets, 1 flash probably corresponded to 1 5-HT organelle. Mepacrine may be a useful tool for investigating the number and function of the 5-HT organelles in live platelets and possibly for studying platelet age.

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