Several pathways are activated when platelets aggregate and undergo the release reaction. We have examined the relative importance of these pathways in the responses to adenosine diphosphate (ADP), thrombin, or collagen of washed platelets from rats with diabetes induced by streptozocin. ADP-induced aggregation was enhanced without the release reaction with platelets from diabetic rats. Collagen-induced aggregation and release, and the adherence of platelets to collagen-coated glass were similar with platelets from diabetic and control rats. Thrombin (1 U/ml) induced more extensive loss of tritium from 3H-arachidonic acid-labeled platelets from diabetic rats than from control rats. Platelet aggregation and the release of 14C-serotonin from prelabeled platelets was greater in response to low concentrations of thrombin (0.04 U/ml). Creatine phosphate-creatine phosphokinase (CP/CPK) and aspirin completely blocked aggregation and partially blocked the release of granule contents from platelets from control and diabetic rats exposed to this low concentration of thrombin. Thus, the enhanced platelet aggregation in response to low concentrations of thrombin was likely mediated in part by released ADP and products formed from arachidonate. In contrast, with a higher concentration of thrombin (0.0625 U/ml), CP/CPK and aspirin did not inhibit the increased sensitivity of diabetic platelets to thrombin-induced aggregation and release; the concentrations of CP/CPK completely blocked aggregation induced by ADP (10 mumol/L), and the aspirin inhibited thromboxane B2 production in response to thrombin (1 U/ml) by 99%. Thus, a thrombin-induced pathway(s) of aggregation and release independent of released ADP and the products of arachidonate metabolism is enhanced in platelets from diabetic rats.