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E4021 (sodium 1-[6-chloro-4-(3, 4-methylenedioxybenzyl)-aminoquinazolin-2-yl]piperidine-4-ca rboxylate sesquihydrate) is a highly selective and potent inhibitor of type V phosphodiesterase(PDE5). The in vitro and in vivo effect of E4021 on platelet function was evaluated, using echistatin, a potent disintegrin, as a positive reference agent. E4021 inhibits aggregatory response to collagen in washed human platelets (IC50 = 5 microM, vs. 0.14 microM with echistatin). In the ex vivo-platelet aggregation assay using whole blood from treated guinea pigs, E4021 (9 mg/kg i.v.) showed a moderate inhibition (43%) against collagen (0.125 microg/ml), whereas echistatin (250 microg/kg i.v.) exerted a 88% inhibition. The absence of endothelium-derived factors (NO) may account for the moderate in vitro and ex vivo antiplatelet activity of E4021. In an in vivo model of reversible platelet aggregation elicited by collagen (100 microg/kg i.v.), both E4021 and echistatin attenuated the intrapulmonary platelet accumulation in guinea pigs (-36% and -44%, respectively). In addition, E4021 (9 mg/kg i.v.) and echistatin (250 microg/kg i.v.) caused a similar inhibition of platelet adhesion at sites of microfilament-induced vascular injury in guinea pigs (52% and 65%, respectively). The two agents in combination did not show additive effect, suggesting that E4021 inhibits platelet activation and impairs interactions of adhesion receptors with matrix proteins. E4021 caused a selective increase in cGMP concentrations in the platelets isolated from treated guinea pigs: cAMP was not affected. It is concluded that the antiplatelet activity of E4021 is mediated through cGMP mechanism by virtue of selective inhibition of PDE5 in the platelets.