Troglitazone has a reducing effect on thromboxane production

Effects of troglitazone, an antidiabetic thiazolidinedione that enhances insulin sensitivity, on thromboxane (TX) production were assessed in human erythroleukemia (HEL) cells and human platelets. Measurement of TX was performed by using the gas chromatography/selected ion monitoring (GC/SIM) method. We found that troglitazone reduced the TX production from HEL cells and human platelets. Furthermore, troglitazone also reduced arachidonic acid (AA)-induced TX production from HEL cell and thrombin-induced TX release from platelets. In addition, we compared the effect of troglitazone with that of alpha-tocopherol and BRL 49653. Other thiazolidinedione compound BRL 49653 had effects similar to troglitazone, but alpha-tocopherol had no effect on TX production. Our findings suggest that the thiazolidinedione group had an antithrombotic effect and was beneficial in preventing vascular complications often observed in diabetes mellitus.