Hydrogen peroxide lowers ATP levels in platelets without altering adenyalte energy charge and platelet function

H2O2 irreversibly reduced metabolic platelet ATP levels with a corresponding accumulation of hypoxanthine. This process was enhanced by sodium azide or potassium cyanide and by increasing H2O2 concentrations. The adenylate energy charge was unaltered when less than two thirds of the metabolic ATP had disappeared but decreased markedly when more ATP disappeared. Platelet shape change, primary aggregation, dense granule and alpha-granule secretion were unaffected by H2O2-induced lowering of ATP provided that the adenylate energy charge did not fall by more than 5%; at greater adenylate energy charge reduction, platelet functions were inhibited. These results indicate that cell functions depend more on adenyalte energy charge than on the ATP level and expands the applicability of this view from bacterial systems to a mammalian cell, the human platelet.