Aggregation activity and elasticity of thrombocyte membrane under hyperbaric oxygenation

The aim of the work is to evaluate the changes in the elastic properties of the platelet membrane under hyperbaric oxygen therapy in patients with ischemic heart disease (IHD). Materials and Methods. The authors examined twenty-four patients with stable angina (functional classes II-III), aged 52.9±11.5; male-to-female ratio was 2:1. They also examined spontaneous and ADP-induced platelet aggregation and the elastic properties of platelets by means of the atomic-force microscopy (AFM) of the human platelet cell membrane, using a 5-day course of hyperbaric oxygenation therapy (HOT) at 1.2ATA, 40 min. daily in complex IHD therapy. Results. Patients with IHD demonstrate normal aggregation (42 %), platelet abnormalities in hemostasis, i.e. hyperaggregation (33 %) and hypoaggregation (25 %). The use of HOT in patients with increased platelet aggregation was accompanied by a decrease in the elastic modulus, which indicated the increase in membrane elasticity. The elastic indices after HOT, calculated according to Young's modulus, significantly decreased in men and increased in women. Conclusion. The development of the AFM-based technique for evaluating functional activity of platelets allows us to detect a structural modification of the cell membrane surface at the earliest stages of their activation.