Treatment with aspirin or clopidogrel does not affect equine platelet expression of P selectin or platelet–neutrophil aggregates

Inflammation-induced P-selectin (CD62P) expression on platelets and endothelial cells facilitates interactions among platelets and polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN), and can also promote coagulation. The effects of clopidogrel and aspirin (ASA) on equine platelet CD62P expression were investigated. Six horses were treated in a cross-over design with clopidogrel (2 mg/kg PO q 24) or ASA (5 mg/kg PO q 24 h) for 5 days. Platelets collected at 24, 72, 96, 120, and 168 h after the initiation of therapy were stimulated using 0.1 μg/mL thrombin, followed by flow cytometric analysis using anti-CD41/61 and anti-equine CD62P antibodies. Platelet–PMN aggregates were also enumerated. Baseline CD62P positive platelet numbers were not different between groups (mean ± SD): 4254 ± 1785 (clopidogrel) and 3600 ± 1780 (ASA, P = 0. 435). Although expression tended to decrease, there were no significant changes in CD62P + platelets after treatment with either drug (clopidogrel P = 0.139, ASA P = 0.161). There was also no difference in platelet–PMN aggregates during or after treatment with ASA (P = 0.513) or clopidogrel (P = 0.543). Due to small numbers of horses, this study may have been underpowered to detect a true decrease in expression, and differences between therapies may have been more pronounced if this study had evaluated horses with systemic inflammation.