The Effect of Lipopolysaccharides (LPS) on Generation of Thromboxane A₂ and Thromboplastin Activity in Whole Blood of Males, Females and Females on Oral Contraceptives

Summary

Heparinized blood sample taken from 81 healthy persons, 40 men and 41 women of whom 17 were on combined oral contraceptives, were incubated with 2 ng lipopolysaccharides (LPS)/ml blood. Quantitation of thromboxane B₂ (TxB₂) in the resultant plasma revealed a significantly (p <0.001) higher generation of TxB₂ in men than in women. No sexual differences were observed in thromboplastin activity in unstimulated and LPS stimulated monocytes. Addition of liposomes together with LPS enhanced the synthesis of thromboplastin 2-10 fold and unveiled a higher synthesis of thromboplastin among men. No differences were observed in TxB₂ and thromboplastin synthesis in blood collected from females or females using oral contraceptives. A significant correlation between TxB₂ and the thromboplastin activity exists within the male (r = 0.46, p = 0.003) and the oral contraceptive (r = 0.57, p = 0.016) group after exposure to LPS. This study suggests that males exposed to LPS may generate more thromboxane A₂ than females and thus be at higher risk of developing thrombosis.

The production of thromboxane A₂ (TxA₂) in platelets upon stimulation may influence the tendency to thrombosis by its proaggregating and vasoconstrictor effect. Although lipopolysaccharides (LPS) lack the ability to induce platelet aggregation in humans (10), Schwartz et al. have reported that mononuclear cells preincubated with LPS induce platelet aggregation most probably through thrombin generation at the surface of monocytes as a result of thromboplastin expression (11).

The purpose of this study was to investigate possible differences in the reactivity of whole blood to a weak stimuli of LPS between males, females and females using oral contraceptives.

Keywords

Sex differences - Thromboplastin synthesis - TxB₂ - Serum lipids

• References

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