Antimalarial drugs impact chemical messenger secretion by blood platelets

BACKGROUND: Advances in antimalarial drug development are important for combating malaria. Among the currently identified antimalarial drugs, it is suggested that some interact directly with the malarial parasites while others interact indirectly with the parasites. While this approach leads to parasite elimination, little is known about how these antimalarial drugs impact immune cells that are also critical in malarial response. METHODS: Herein, the effects of two common antimalarial drugs, chloroquine and quinine, on platelets were explored at both the bulk level, using high performance liquid chromatography, and the single cell level, using carbon-fiber microelectrode amperometry, to characterize any changes in chemical messenger secretion. RESULTS: The data reveal that both drugs cause platelet activation and reduce the number of platelet exocytosis events as well as delay fusion pore opening and closing. CONCLUSIONS: This work demonstrates how chloroquine and quinine quantitatively and qualitatively impact in vitro platelet function. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE: Overall, the goal of this work is to promote understanding about how antimalarial drugs impact platelets as this may affect antimalarial drug development as well as therapeutic approaches to treat malarial infection.