Effects of dietary arachidonate deficiency on the aggregation of cat platelets.

Because the cat lacks the ability to synthesize a significant amount of arachidonate from linoleate in the liver, arachidonate is a dietary essential. We studied the effects of essential fatty acid deficiency on the aggregation of cat platelets. Cat platelets aggregated in response to ADP, collagen, arachidonate and epinephrine. Aggregation was impaired in platelets from cats fed arachidonate-deficient diets. Including a source of linoleate in the arachidonate-deficient diet did not improve aggregation. Arachidonate is required in the diet of the cat for normal platelet aggregation.