In-vitro platelet responses to arachidonic acid in the rat

Using both the turbidimetric and the conductive methods to study aggregation of platelets, we found that arachidonic acid stimulated rat washed platelets in a dose-dependent manner (40 microM-0.5 mM). Although a high concentration of arachidonic acid (0.5 mM) produced an increase in light transmission both in the presence of 2 mM CaCl2 and EGTA (45.8 +/- 2.8 and 50.4 +/- 0.8% respectively) no changes in impedance were detected. Lysis caused by this concentration of arachidonic acid was very high at all the concentrations of calcium used (mean of 81.3%). In addition, the turbidimetric response induced by 0.5 mM arachidonic acid implied an initial decrease in light transmission but did not correlate with a real shape change. Forty micromolar arachidonic acid induced a calcium-dependent aggregation measured both by aggregometry and impedance. Morphology of aggregates induced by both concentrations was also studied. These results suggest that the optimal concentration for studying rat platelet activation by arachidonic acid is 40 microM; high concentrations (0.5 mM) cause aspecific effects not correlated to a physiological activation response.