Rotenone, a naturally occurring pesticide and a well-established mitochondrial complex I inhibitor, disrupts electron transport chain activity, resulting in impaired energy metabolism, oxidative stress, and apoptosis. Our recent findings revealed that rotenone suppresses agonist-induced platelet functional activity; however, the molecular mechanisms underlying this effect remain largely unclear. In this study, we demonstrate that rotenone exposure induces pronounced cytotoxic effects in human platelets, evident from decreased cell viability and phosphatidylserine externalization, a hallmark of apoptosis-like processes. At the mitochondrial level, rotenone markedly compromises organelle integrity by inducing mitochondrial membrane potential depolarization, excessive reactive oxygen species generation, and calcium dysregulation. These mitochondrial perturbations act as key upstream signals that trigger caspase activation and drive apoptosis-like cascades in platelets. Collectively, our findings identify mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, and calcium imbalance as central mediators of rotenone-induced, caspase-dependent platelet apoptosis. This study demonstrates that rotenone induces cytotoxicity and organelle dysfunction in human blood platelets, thereby providing mechanistic insight into altered platelet functions.
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