Two novel, putative mechanisms of action for citalopram-induced platelet inhibition

Citalopram, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), inhibits platelet function in vitro. We have previously shown that this action is independent of citalopram’s ability to block serotonin uptake by the serotonin transporter and must therefore be mediated via distinct pharmacological mechanisms. We now report evidence for two novel and putative mechanisms of citalopram-induced platelet inhibition. Firstly, in platelets, citalopram blocked U46619-induced Rap1 activation and subsequent platelet aggregation, but failed to inhibit U46619-induced increases in cytosolic Ca2+. Similarly, in neutrophils, citalopram inhibited Rap1 activation and downstream functions but failed to block PAF-induced Ca2+ mobilisation. In a cell-free system, citalopram also reduced CalDAG-GEFI-mediated nucleotide exchange on Rap1B. Secondly, the binding of anti-GPVI antibodies to resting platelets was inhibited by citalopram. Furthermore, citalopram-induced inhibition of GPVI-mediated platelet aggregation was instantaneous, reversible and displayed competitive characteristics, suggesting that these effects were not caused by a reduction in GPVI surface expression, but by simple competitive binding. In conclusion, we propose two novel, putative and distinct inhibitory mechanisms of action for citalopram: (1) inhibition of CalDAG-GEFI/Rap1 signalling, and (2) competitive antagonism of GPVI in platelets. These findings may aid in the development of novel inhibitors of CalDAG-GEFI/Rap1-dependent nucleotide exchange and novel GPVI antagonists.