Medline/PubMed Citation | Related Articles in PubMed | Download to Citation Manager

Clinical Science (2010) 118, (459–461) (Printed in Great Britain)

PDF

Legacy HTML

Paper by F. R. C. Giachini et al.

Send to a friend

Add a comment

Commentary

Clopidogrel application: beyond coronary artery disease

Chunyu Zeng^*†

*Department of Cardiology, Daping Hospital, The Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, People's Republic of China, and †Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Shantou Medical College, Shantou University, Shantou City, People's Republic of China

Key words: ADP, angiotensin II, clopidogrel, endothelium, hypertension, mesenteric artery, P2Y receptor.

Abbreviations: ACC, American College of Cardiology; AHA, American Heart Association; AngII, angiotensin II; CABG, coronary artery bypass grafting; CHARISMA, Clopidogrel for High Atherothrombotic Risk and Ischemic Stabilization, Management, and Avoidance; CURE, Clopidogrel in Unstable angina to prevent Recurrent Events; FDA, Federal Drug Administration; 2-MeS-ADP, 2-methylthio-ADP; PAD, peripheral artery disease.

Correspondence: Dr Chunyu Zeng (cyzeng1@hotmail.com).

Dual antiplatelet therapy with aspirin and clopidogrel, a P2Y₁₂ antagonist, is a cornerstone for treatment of patients with stroke, peripheral arterial disease and acute coronary artery disease, followed with or without percutaneous coronary intervention. In the present issue of Clinical Science, Giachini and co-workers found that clopidogrel could normalize the increased phenylephrine-induced vascular contraction and the impaired acetylcholine-induced vasodilation in mesenteric arteries from AngII (angiotensin II)-infused Sprague–Dawley rats. This might develop a new area for clopidogrel application; however, whether clopidogrel can improve arterial function in patients with hypertension or diabetes, or if clopidogrel outweighs the beneficial effect of aspirin in those patients, remains an open field for future inquiry.

Received 28 October 2009/2 November 2009; accepted 4 November 2009

Published as Immediate Publication 4 November 2009, doi:10.1042/CS20090546

© The Authors Journal compilation © 2010 Biochemical Society