Nitric Oxide as Physiological Regulator of Platelet Function

4 Nitric oxide as physiological regulator of platelet function 

There is now convincing evidence that NO is a major physiological factor modulating platelet function. 

In vitro NO, released fiom fiesh or cultured endothelial cells, inhibits aggregation induced by a variety of agonists as well as by shear stress (Radomski et al, 1987c,d Furlong et al, 1987 Busse et al, 1987 Macdonald et al, 1988 Alheid et al, 1989 Houston et al, 1990 Brockman et al, 1991). Nitric oxide also causes disaggregation of preformed platelet aggregates (Radomski et al, 1987d) and inhibits platelet recruitment (Freedman et al, 1997). 

In vivo, basal or agonist-stimulated release of NO result in inhibition of platelet 

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