Summary
The objective of this study was to characterize and standardize whole blood electrical
aggregometry (WBEA) in the pig and rabbit, animal models extensively used in atherosclerosis
research, and to compare their platelet response with that of man. Platelet aggregation
was studied in blood (WBEA) and platelet rich plasma (optical aggregometry, OA). Dose
response curves were obtained for ADP and collagen. The effect of hematocrit on WBEA
was also evaluated. Aggregation with ADP and collagen using WBEA was more extensive
with human than with pig or rabbit platelets. OA revealed similar differences among
species but the time to reach maximal aggregation was markedly shorter. Using WBEA,
the extent of aggregation was inversely related to the hematocrit. We conclude that
WBEA is a useful technique that may be of particular importance in situations where
hyper-lipidemic plasma prevents the use of OA, as occurs in some atherosclerosis research
animal models.
Key words
Electrical aggregometry - Platelets - Animal models - Whole blood aggregation
