Increased platelet activity after termination of prostacyclin infusion into man.

Infusion of PGI2 at a dose of 5 or 10 ng/kg/min during 72 hours into patients with peripheral vascular disease was followed by increased susceptibility of platelets to proaggregatory action of ADP and collagen but not that of arachidonate. The above effects were observed 24 hours after termination of infusion of PGI2. A tendency to an increased formation of TXA2 in PRP aggregated by arachidonate was also noticed.

Prostacyclin and blood glucose levels in humans and rabbits.

In patients with peripheral vascular disease and in healthy rabbits, infusion of PGI2 but not of 6-keto PGF1 alpha induced a rise in blood glucose level and a pathological deviation in glucose tolerance test. In experiments in vitro, the increased concentrations of glucose produced dose-dependent inhibition of PGI2 release from isolated rat aortic rings. The link between PGI2 and carbohydrate metabolism is discussed.