TY - JOUR
T1 - Pine bark extract reduces platelet aggregation
AU - Araghi-Niknam, Mohsen
AU - Hosseini, Saiid
AU - Larson, Douglas
AU - Rohdewald, Peter
AU - Watson, Ronald Ross
N1 - Funding Information:
Supported by grants from Henkel Corporation and Horphag Research Ltd. to R.R.Watson. We appreciate the assistance of Mrs. Pam White who carried out the in vitro platelet aggregation assays.
PY - 2000/3/1
Y1 - 2000/3/1
N2 - The effects of long-term consumption of the bioflavonoid mixture, French maritime pine bark extract (Pycnogenol®), were assessed on aggregation of platelets from cigarette smokers and nonsmokers. Previously we showed that a single dose of Pycnogenol® reduced platelet aggregation in cigarette smokers in a dose-response fashion. Cigarette smoking increased platelet reactivity aggregation when measured 2 h after smoking the first cigarette of the day. Blood was collected immediately before and 5 min after smoking three cigarettes each. Smoking increased platelet aggregation (1.17 ± 0.04). However 200 mg Pycnogenol®/day, taken 3 h prior to first cigarette for the day for 2 months, significantly (p < .0023) reduced smoke-induced platelet aggregation (0.98 ± 0.05) to the level of nonsmokers. In a group of 19 nonsmokers, platelet aggregation was measured during in vitro stimulation by platelet aggregation factor (PAF) after 4 or 8 weeks of 200 mg/day of Pycnogenol® consumption. Platelet aggregation was significant when induced in vitro by PAF. However, Pycnogenol® consumption did not change platelet aggregation, suggesting that Pycnogenol®'s regulation of aggregation is by another mechanism. Thromboxane A2 (TxA2) is increased in smokers by release from platelets and rapidly becomes thromboxane B2 (TxB2). Smoking increased TxB2, which was prevented by Pycnogenol®, lowering TxB2 levels to those of nonsmokers. However, Pycnogenol® had no effect on the lower levels of TxB2 in nonsmokers. These observations suggest that Pycnogenol® supplementation reduces a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, that is, platelet aggregation in smokers. The bioflavonoids in Pycnogenol® reduced platelet aggregation stimulated by tobacco smoke. Copyright (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Inc.
AB - The effects of long-term consumption of the bioflavonoid mixture, French maritime pine bark extract (Pycnogenol®), were assessed on aggregation of platelets from cigarette smokers and nonsmokers. Previously we showed that a single dose of Pycnogenol® reduced platelet aggregation in cigarette smokers in a dose-response fashion. Cigarette smoking increased platelet reactivity aggregation when measured 2 h after smoking the first cigarette of the day. Blood was collected immediately before and 5 min after smoking three cigarettes each. Smoking increased platelet aggregation (1.17 ± 0.04). However 200 mg Pycnogenol®/day, taken 3 h prior to first cigarette for the day for 2 months, significantly (p < .0023) reduced smoke-induced platelet aggregation (0.98 ± 0.05) to the level of nonsmokers. In a group of 19 nonsmokers, platelet aggregation was measured during in vitro stimulation by platelet aggregation factor (PAF) after 4 or 8 weeks of 200 mg/day of Pycnogenol® consumption. Platelet aggregation was significant when induced in vitro by PAF. However, Pycnogenol® consumption did not change platelet aggregation, suggesting that Pycnogenol®'s regulation of aggregation is by another mechanism. Thromboxane A2 (TxA2) is increased in smokers by release from platelets and rapidly becomes thromboxane B2 (TxB2). Smoking increased TxB2, which was prevented by Pycnogenol®, lowering TxB2 levels to those of nonsmokers. However, Pycnogenol® had no effect on the lower levels of TxB2 in nonsmokers. These observations suggest that Pycnogenol® supplementation reduces a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, that is, platelet aggregation in smokers. The bioflavonoids in Pycnogenol® reduced platelet aggregation stimulated by tobacco smoke. Copyright (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Inc.
KW - Bioflavonoids
KW - Bleeding
KW - Platelet reactivity
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0033506008&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0033506008&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/S1096-2190(00)00002-0
DO - 10.1016/S1096-2190(00)00002-0
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:0033506008
SN - 1096-2190
VL - 2
SP - 73
EP - 77
JO - Integrative Medicine
JF - Integrative Medicine
IS - 2-3
ER -