Metabolism of [14C]arachidonic acid by human platelets.

A time dependent incorporation of [1-14C] arachidonic acid into platelet phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylethanolamine, and phosphatidylserine was observed in platelet-rich plasma. When platelets, so labelled, were washed and treated with thrombin, there was a major decrease in the radioactivity of phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylinositol. This decrease was accounted for by the appearance of several previously identified (Hamberg and Samuelsson (1974) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S. 71, 3400) 14C-labelled oxygenated products of arachidonic acid.