ABSTRACT
From the discovery of platelet activating factor (PAF) in the early 1970s, increasing attention has been paid to its antagonists, including natural and synthetic compounds which have been proposed as potential therapeutic agents for the treatment of immunological3 and inflammatory disorders. Concerning the chemical structures of the natural and synthetic PAF antagonists mentioned in the text as well as their classification, the reader is referred to the Appendix. Platelets have been in the focus of interest in PAF research. The interaction between PAF antagonists and platelets is extensively studied and reviewed. The effect of various PAF antagonists on PAF- and adrenalin-induced platelet aggregation was studied. The PAF antagonist was as effective against eosinophil Chemotaxis as in reducing neutrophil chemotactic response. Using electron spin resonance spectrometry the damaging effects of the latter two PAF antagonists were suggested to be due to their detergent properties.
