Circulating platelets plasma membrane of normocholesterolemic and hypercholesterolemic rabbits tested with aspirin: a freeze-etching study of the platelet plasma-membrane "protuberances"

Platelets plasma-membrane show some ultrastructural formations, quite different from pseudopodies and from "particles", termed by us "protuberances". Statistic tests/showed the average value of "protuberances" strongly increased in hypercholesterolemic (HC) rabbits compared with the one of normocholesterolemic (NC) rabbit platelets. After i.v. administration of aspirin, the number of the "protuberances" of circulating platelets of the normocholesterolemic and hypercholesterolemic rabbits didn't show a significant difference in comparison with the no ASA treated NC and HC rabbits. "Protuberances" don't seem to be correlated with the secretion of substances of the aggregation pathway. © 1980 The Italian Pharmacological Society.