Mechanism of the thrombin-mediated burst in oxygen consumption by human platelets.

We present evidence that added thrombin stimulates release of endogenous arachidonic acid by suspensions of human platelets. We also show that added arachidonic acid causes a burst in O2 consumption that mimics one of the well described effects of thrombin on these cells. Further, added aspirin, a known inhibitor of the burst in O2 consumption caused by thrombin, also blunted the stimulatory effect of arachidonate on O2 consumption, and eicosatetraynoate, a known inhibitor of arachidonate oxygenation, blunted the burst in O2 consumption initiated by both thrombin and arachidonate. We conclude that rapid oxygenation of endogenously released arachidonic acid accounts for the thrombin-mediated burst in oxygen consumption by platelets.