Figure 2From: Platelet mitochondrial dysfunction in critically ill patients: comparison between sepsis and cardiogenic shock Relationship between platelet mitochondrial biochemistry and the first wave of aggregation. Activity of platelet respiratory chain enzymes and the first wave of aggregation with ADP (4 μmol/l) were measured in healthy volunteers (white dots) and in patients with sepsis (grey dots) (within 48 hours from admission to intensive care). Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide dehydrogenase (NADH) (A), complex I (CI) (B), complex I + III (CI + III) (C), succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) (D), complex II + III (CII + III) (E), and complex IV (CIV) (F) activity is expressed relative to citrate synthase (CS) activity, a marker of mitochondrial density. Aggregation was expressed as a percentage, where optical density of unstimulated platelet-rich plasma represents 0% and that of platelet-poor plasma is 100%. Strength of association between (normally distributed) variables was assessed with linear regression analysis and expressed as R 2. CS activity (expressed as nmol/minute/mg proteins) was not associated with the first wave of aggregation with ADP (R 2 = 0.00; P = 0.703). Complex I, NADH–ubiquinone 1 reductase; complex I + III, NADH–cytochrome c reductase; complex II + III, succinate dehydrogenase–cytochrome c reductase; complex IV, cytochrome c oxidase.Back to article page