Serotonin and Serotonergic Type-2 Antagonists in Hypertension and Adult Atopic Asthma

[摘要] Serotonin is a naturally occuring amine with vaso-active properties; its role in the pathogenesis of hypertension is unknown. Serotonin in blood is stored in platelets, and is released during platelet aggregation. Normally, only negligable amounts of serotonin are present in the plasma. Platelets from patients with untreated essential hypertension (n=22) showed increased serotonin-induced aggregation in whole blood in-vitro compared to age and sex matched normotensive controls (n=20). Enhanced platelet aggregation could contribute to raised arterial pressure in hypertension, by increasing free plasma levels of vasoconstrictors such as serotonin. However, spontaneous platelet aggregation in whole blood was not enhanced in these hypertensive patients.

[发布机构] University:University of Glasgow

[关键词] Medicine, Physiology