BIOCHEMICAL BASIS FOR THE INTERPRETATION OF CHANGES IN PLATELET INDICES UNDER CONDITIONS OF ALIMENTARY PROTEIN DEFICIENCY AND TOXIC INJURY INDUCED BY ACETAMINOPHEN
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31861/biosystems2025.02.260Keywords:
platelets, plateletcrit, mean platelet volume, platelet distribution width, hemostasis, low-protein diet, acetaminophen, toxic injuryAbstract
The work is devoted to elucidating the biochemical mechanisms and patterns of changes in platelet indices under conditions of dietary protein deficiency and acetaminophen-induced toxic injury. The relevance of the study is determined by the prevalence of nutrient-associated disorders and drug-induced hepatopathies, which are accompanied by systemic alterations in hemostasis, particularly of the primary platelet component. Particular attention is paid to platelet indices as integral markers of the morphofunctional state of platelets, the activity of thrombocytopoiesis, and platelet reactivity. The study was conducted on white outbred rats aged 2.5–3 months, in which alimentary protein deficiency was modeled by maintaining them on a semi-synthetic low-protein diet for 28 days, as well as acute acetaminophen-induced toxic injury at a dose of 1250 mg/kg body weight. Platelet count was determined in peripheral blood smears stained according to the Romanowsky–Giemsa method, whereas mean platelet volume, platelet distribution width, and plateletcrit were assessed using a hematological analyzer. The results of the study demonstrated the development of pronounced thrombocytopenia in all experimental groups, most intense under conditions of acetaminophen-induced toxic injury. The decrease in platelet count was accompanied by a significant reduction in plateletcrit against the background of an increase in mean platelet volume and platelet distribution width. Morphological analysis of blood smears confirmed the presence of giant platelet aggregates and increased platelet heterogeneity, indicating platelet activation and disturbances in the thrombocytopoiesis process. The obtained results allow us to conclude that acetaminophen-induced injury is a key factor in the imbalance of the platelet component of hemostasis, while dietary protein deficiency enhances the extent of these changes. The identified pattern of alterations in platelet indices has a clear biochemical basis and may be used for an in-depth laboratory assessment of the hemostatic state under metabolically unfavorable conditions.
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