Cigarette smoking and its effects on the platelet-vessel wall interaction

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Abstract
The effect of smoking and CO on the platelet-vessel wall interaction was investigated. After smoking 2 high-nicotine content cigarettes (2.6 mg nicotine/cigarette) the mean bleeding time decreased 1.6 min (P < 0.05) in 5 habitual smokers; the platelet aggregability was only moderately inhibited. After inhibiting the platelet cyclooxygenase by ingesting acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) 2 days prior to the study, smoking caused a markedly and significantly shortened bleeding time (-3.8 min; P < 0.05). The bleeding time was unaffected by smoking when the platelet cyclooxygenase and the vessel wall prostaglandin was inhibited by ASA 1 h prior to the study. When smoking 2 cigarettes with a low content of nicotine (0.25 mg nicotine/cigarette) no changes in the hemostatic mechanism were observed. Inhalation of CO in high amounts in 5 nonsmokers had a significant short-lasting effect on the bleeding time (-1.2 min, P < 0.05). No changes in the bleeding time were observed after CO inhalation when the platelet cyclooxygenase or when the platelet cyclooxygenase and the vessel wall prostaglandin production were blocked. The effect of smoking on the hemostasis was mainly mediated through an inhibitory effect on the prostacyclin production in the vessel wall by nicotine and CO only played a minor role.