Chromium picolinate inhibits cholesterol-induced stimulation of platelet aggregation in hypercholesterolemic rats

Hypercholesterolemia indirectly increases the risk of myocardial infarction by enhancing platelet aggregation. Chromium has been shown to lower plasma lipids. This study was designed to investigate whether chromium inhibits platelet aggregation under hypercholesterolemic conditions. Albino rats were divided into four groups: control rats fed with a normolipemic diet (NLD group), chromium-supplemented rats fed with NLD (NLD + Cr group), rats fed with a high-fat diet (HF group), and chromium-supplemented rats fed with HF (HF + Cr group). After 10 weeks, blood was collected to determine adenosine diphosphate and collagen-induced platelet aggregation and plasma levels of total cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, apolipoprotein A1, apolipoprotein B, and thromboxane B2. Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol was calculated by Friedewald formula. High-fat diet animals displayed significant elevation of plasma lipids and platelet aggregation which was normalized to control levels by chromium supplementation. Chromium supplementation in normolipemic (NLD + Cr) rats did not produce significant changes in either plasma lipids or platelet activity. Chromium supplementation to hypercholesterolemic rats improves the lipid profile and returns platelet hyperaggregability to control levels. This normalization is mostly due to a reduction in plasma cholesterol level.