Effects of chronic caffeine administration on the platelets aggregation, blood coagulation and fibrinolytic activity in male rats

ABSTRACT

The effects of three caffeine doses [10, 20 or 40 mg/kg-1] given intravenously for seven consecutive days on platelets aggregation index, plasma fibrinogen and plasminogen levels, clotting time [CT], prothrombin time [PT] and activated partial thromboplastin time [APTT] were investigated in male albino rats. A decrease in PT and APTT was observed in the rats treated with the 10 mg dose, but no other changes were found in the rest of the studied parameters. The 20 and 40 mg doses caused a marked inhibition concentrations as well as prolonged CT, PT and APTT. The results suggest that long term administration of caffeine did not only inhibit the process of platelet aggregation, but also interfered with the intrinsic and extrinsic pathways of coagulations. The mechanisms by which caffeine caused these alterations might have been related to its phosphodiesterase inhibitory action as well as its effect on the liver function