An Ex Vivo Study to Evaluate the Effect of Tegaserod on Platelet Activation and Aggregation.

Introduction: Tegaserod, an orally active, potent 5-hydroxytryptamine-4 serotonin receptor agonist, was previously indicated for irritable bowel syndrome but was voluntarily withdrawn due to potential cardiovascular side effects. In vitro studies suggested that tegaserod increased platelet aggregation, but these results were not reproduced or were inconclusive. We sought to assess ex vivo effects of tegaserod on platelet aggregation.