Adenine nucleotide metabolism during the aggregation of human platelets by bovine factor VIII

Human platelets, prelabelled with [3H]-adenine in vitro, were aggregated biphasically by bovine fibrinogen/factor VIII, and the amounts and specific radioactivity of ADP and ATP as well as the radioactivity of ATP, ADP, AMP, IMP and hypoxanthine + inosine were determined intracellularly and extracellularly. During the second phase of aggregation, ATP and ADP were released (50% of total) with a specific radioactivity 15-20 times lower than that of the ATP and ADP retained in the cells. The specific radioactivity of the ATP and ADP in the cells increased during release. Radioactive ATP was converted to radioactive hypoxanthine during release. These findings correlated well with those obtained with collagen, and indicate that bovine factor VIII induces the platelet release reaction whereby the storage (non-metabolic) pool of ATP and ADP is released while the metabolic pool is retained.