Effect of nimodipine on cell calcium concentration and platelet aggregation in patients with ischemic stroke

The rate of spontaneous platelet aggregation is 1.5-2-fold increased in patients with ischemic stroke in comparison with control values. Monotherapy with nimodipine lowers parameters of spontaneous platelet aggregation virtually to normal values. Nimodipine inhibits ADP-induced aggregation but does not affect the ADP affinity of platelet receptors. Experiments with a Fura 2-AM fluorescent probe show that the basal calcium level in platelets from patients with ischemic stroke reliably surpassed that in healthy donors. Nimodipine inhibits the ADP-induced rise of the cell calcium level. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny Vol. 121, N ^o 3, pp. 317–320, March, 1996 Presented by P. V. Sergeev, Member of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences