Changes in the Ultrastructure and Number of Platelets Induced by an Adrenochrome Complex

Summary

Adrenochrome semicarbazone injected intramuscularly into apparently healthy human volunteers resulted in a decrease in the number of circulating platelets after 30 min. The decrease ranged from 9 to 44% with an average of 24%. The platelet count returned to near normal by 60 min. A similar concentration had no effect in vitro. The sodium salicylate carrier used to solubilize the adrenochrome complex had no effect on platelet numbers in vivo or in vitro.

Blood taken 30 min post injection and prepared by a fixation-shadow cast technique contained many disintegrating platelets and a high concentration of membrane fragments and free organelles. Thin sections of platelets revealed extensive intracellular alteration, but physically intact limiting membranes. Many free vesicles of various sizes and shapes and a few free mitochondria were shown in cross section.

Two major metabolites isolated from human urine after adrenochrome semicarbazone injection caused platelet disruption when added to citrated PRP in vitro. The disruption was reflected by a decrease in the number of platelets and by the electron microscopic appearance of fixed-shadow cast preparations.

It is suggested that the sequence of events observed in this study may represent, greatly exaggerated, a process which occurs in the body constantly as a small amount of epinephrine seems to be metabolized through an adrenochrome pathway.

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