Possible interaction of platelets and adrenaline in the early phase of myocardial infarction

It is known that in most cases of transmural acute myocardial infarction a platelet clot originates within a coronary artery. In acute myocardial infarction patients increased levels of the plasma catecholamines adrenaline and noradrenaline as well as the platelet release proteins platelet factor 4 andβ-thromboglobulin have been reported. In this study, significantly higher values were found of platelet factor 4 (P < 0.0001) andβ-thromboglobulin (P < 0.002) in 17 acute myocardial infarction patients as compared to 17 control patients (on intensive care due to non-cardiac disorders), while the plasma levels of adrenaline and noradrenaline were not different. Positive correlations were obtained between the two catecholamines and the platelet products in the control group and between adrenaline and both platelet factor 4 (r = 0.715,P < 0.01) andβ-thromboglobulin (r = 0.547,P < 0.05) in the acute myocardial infarction patients. The data suggest that a stimulation of the platelets by adrenaline may facilitate in vitro activation during sampling in patients with high catecholamine load. On the other hand, a “preactivation” of the platelets by an increase of adrenaline might be of significance for thrombus formation in acute myocardial infarction.