HYDROPHOBIC ORGANIC-SOLVENTS ACTIVATE HUMAN PLATELETS IN-VITRO

The purpose of this study was to investigate blood platelet function d uring exposure to the hydrophobic organic solvents toluene, p-xylene a nd n-hexane. Human blood platelets were exposed for 30 min at 37-degre es-C to a saturated atmosphere of p-xylene, toluene or n-hexane. All t hree solvents, and the aromatics in particular, induced a decrease in the number of single platelets (61-88%) together with an increase in t he extracellular levels of AFP plus ADP (45-65% of total) and serotoni n (67-100% of total). Passive leakage of [C-14] adenine-labelled nucle otides from the metabolic pool, due to platelet lysis, was minor or de layed. Electron microscopy of platelets exposed to p-xylene revealed a ggregation. The platelets were spherical without pseudopods. Our resul ts indicate that the hydrophobic solvents n-hexane, p-xylene and tolue ne induce platelet aggregation and dense granule secretion.