Cytosolic calcium as a second messenger for collagen-induced platelet responses.

We showed previously that direct platelet activation by collagen involves an increase in the platelet cytosolic free Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) but that this increase is not required for the adhesion of platelets to collagen. We now report that collagen-induced arachidonic acid liberation, myosin phosphorylation and 5-hydroxytryptamine secretion are dependent on increases in [Ca2+]i, as they were markedly inhibited in platelets loaded with the acetoxymethyl ester of the Ca2+ chelator BAPTA but not in cells loaded with the acetoxymethyl ester of the non-chelating diazo-3. BAPTA also partially inhibited the rate of collagen-induced phosphatidic acid (PtdA) formation but had little effect on increases in phosphorylation of pleckstrin (47 kDa protein; P47). From these results we infer that collagen-induced increases in [Ca2+]i are required for dense granule secretion and arachidonic acid liberation, but are not necessary for stimulation of the protein kinase C pathway.