Summary
The present paper is part of a study on the evaluation of the active serotonin uptake and the response to hypotonic shock as in vitro viability tests for human blood platelets.
The extraction and fluorometric assay of serotonin in plasma and in platelets were further automated by the introduction of a dialyzer in the earlier described system. Furthermore, the influences of some external factors on both tests were investigated.
The serotonin uptake as well as the hypotonic shock response were pH dependent and especially the latter was rather sensitive to small pH changes. Changes in the Na+ : K+ ratio were also found to influence both criteria significantly.
The serotonin uptake appeared to be linearly dependent on the platelet number while, within a range of 200 X 103 - 450 X 103 platelets per fxl, the slope of the hypotonic shock response was the same.
