Pistacia chinensis Methanolic Extract Attenuated MAPK and Akt Phosphorylations in ADP Stimulated Rat Platelets In Vitro

Pistacia chinensis (Chinese pistache) is a widely grown plant in southern China where the galls extract is a common practice in folk medicine. However, extracts from this plant have never been attempted for their cardiovascular protective effects in experimental setting. Here therefore we aimed to investigate the antiplatelet activity of Pistacia chinensis methanolic extract (PCME) in ADP stimulated rat platelets in vitro. PCME (2.5-20 μg/mL) inhibited ADP-induced platelet aggregation. While PCME diminished [Ca(2+)]i, ATP, and TXA2 release in ADP-activated platelets, it enhanced cAMP production in resting platelets. Likewise, PCME inhibited fibrinogen binding to αIIbβ3 and downregulated JNK, ERK, and Akt phosphorylations. Thus, PCME contains potential antiplatelet compounds that could be deployed for their therapeutic values in cardiovascular pathology.