Effects of ketotifen on rabbit platelet aggregation and platelet activating factor formation from rat neutrophils

The effects of ketotifen (Ket) on rabbit platelet aggregation induced by platelet activating factor (PAF), ADP and arachidonic acid (AA) and PAF formation from A-23187-stimulated rat neutrophils in vitro were studied. PAF (15-100 pmol/L) induced rabbit platelet aggregations, with an EC50 of 33 pmol/L. Ket shifted the PAF dose-dependent platelet aggregation curve to the right in a parallel fashion with no depression of the maximal response and reversed the secondary aggregation phase, suggesting that Ket had competitive antagonistic activity against PAF-induced platelet aggregation. It also showed inhibitory effects on platelet aggregations induced by ADP 10 mumol/L and AA 50 mumol/L, the IC50 were 94.5 and 143.5 mumol/L respectively. However, it failed to influence PAF formation from rat neutrophils stimulated by A-23187 2.5 mumol/L in vitro. The inhibitory effects of Ket on platelet activation, particularly PAF-induced platelet aggregation, may contribute to its anti-asthmatic properties.