Reduced basal nitric oxide bioavailability and platelet activation in young spontaneously hypertensive rats

Objective: To investigate the role of basal nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability for platelet activation in young spontaneously hypertensive rats before onset of hypertension. Phosphorylation of the vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein (VASP) in platelets was used as a sensitive monitor of in vivo NO bioavailability. Methods and results: Whole blood samples were taken from 10-week-old Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY) and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). In vivo surface-expression of P-selectin and platelet-binding of fibrinogen were assessed by flow cytometry. Platelet VASP-phosphorylation at its serine 239 (Ser(239)) and serine 157 (Ser(157)) residues was assessed using specific antibodies to determine NO bioavailability in vivo, and compared with endothelial vasomotor function. The increment in vascular tone following inhibition of NO-synthase in slightly preconstricted aortic rings was reduced indicating less NO formation under physiological stimulation (WKY 71.1 +/- 4.1%; SHR 57.8 +/- 2.4%, P < 0.05). In vivo platelet VASP-phosphorylation was significantly reduced at both phosphorylation sites in SHR (mean fluorescence for Ser(239) : WKY: 15.2 +/- 0.6; SHR: 11.7 +/- 0.5, P < 0.01; Ser(157) : WKY: 53.0 +/- 3.0; SHR: 35.0 +/- 3.5, P < 0.05). Surface-expression of P-selectin and membrane-bound fibrinogen were significantly enhanced in SHR compared with WKY (P-selectin: WKY: 23.2 +/- 3.4; SHR 58.3 +/- 7.9, P < 0.001; platelet-bound fibrinogen: WKY: 8.6 +/- 0.5; SHR: 13.5 +/- 1.1, P < 0.001). In vitro preincubation of platelets with the NO donor sodium nitroprusside normalized platelet surface-expression of P-selectin in SHR. Conclusion: Using VASP-phosphorylation as a sensitive monitor of in vivo NO bioavailability, these data provide evidence that reduced vascular NO formation in vivo contributes to increased platelet activation in young SHR. (C) 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.