Effect of toxic substances of diphtheria corynebacteria on aggregation of human platelets

The effect of the toxic substances of diphtheria corynebacteria (diphtheria toxin, diphtheria anatoxin, and codivac) on the aggregation of human plateletsin vitro was demonstrated using platelet-rich plasma prepared from citrated blood and the standard platelet activator ADP (2×10⁻⁵ M). These substances induce platelet aggregation in a dose-dependent manner. Incubation of diphtheria toxin and anatoxin with platelets reduces ADP-induced and total platelet aggregation, the effect being dependent on the inducer dose and incubation time. By contrast, codivac stimulates ADP-induced and total platelet aggregation in all experimental series. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 118, N ^o 12, pp 623–625, December, 1994 Presented by V. I. Pokrovskii, Member of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences