The discovery of a group of spontaneously diabetic rats has made it possible to examine changes in diabetic animals in the absence of possible confounding toxic effects of diabetogenic agents. The responses of washed platelets to adenosine diphosphate (ADP), thrombin, or collagen have been compared with platelets from spontaneously diabetic rats (these rats were hyperglycemic), their nondiabetic littermates (normoglycemic), and control rats from the same colony. Platelets from the diabetic rats aggregated more extensively in response to ADP than did platelets from the nondiabetic littermates or control animals. In contrast, platelet aggregation and release of granule contents in response to a low thrombin concentration (0.05 U/ml) were greater with platelets from diabetic rats and nondiabetic littermates than with platelets from control rats. A similar effect of collagen on the release of platelet serotonin was observed. Except at low concentrations of thrombin, the enhanced sensitivity to thrombin-induced aggregation and release of granule contents from platelets from diabetic rats or their nondiabetic littermates could not be inhibited by creatine phosphate-creatine phosphokinase (CP/CPK) and aspirin (CP/CPK used at concentrations that inhibited aggregation induced by ADP [10 mumol/L] and aspirin at concentrations that inhibited thromboxane B2 production induced by thrombin [1 U/ml] by 99%). Loss of radioactivity from platelets labeled with 3H-arachidonic acid and the amount of thromboxane B2 formed in response to high concentrations of thrombin (1 U/ml) was greater from platelets from the diabetic rats or their nondiabetic littermates than from control animals. Thus the effect of diabetes on this aspect of arachidonate metabolism is not primarily determined by blood glucose levels.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)