The platelet content of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), adenosine diphosphate (ADP), serotonin and ouabain-insensitive, magnesium-dependent adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) was determined in patients with chronic renal failure, patients on chronic hemodialysis, and kidney transplant recipients. Platelet ATP content was normal in all. By contrast, ADP content, expressed in mumol/10(11) platelets, was significantly lower in renal failure: 1.82 +/- 0.96 compared to 2.51 +/- 0.97 in normals (p less than 0.05), but not in dialyzed or transplanted patients; 2.27 +/- 0.96 and 1.87 +/- 0.87, respectively. The mean content of serotonin was also significantly lower in renal failure patients: 0.52 microgram/10(9) platelets as compared to 0.90 microgram/10(9) platelets in normals (p less than 0.05) but was not significantly different in dialyzed and transplanted patients. ATPase was significantly lower in renal failure: 3.13 +/- 1.2 mumol Pi/10(9) platelets in whole suspension and 0.71 +/- 0.22 Pi/mg protein/h in membrane preparation compared to 4.74 +/- 1.1 and 1.18 +/- 0.19, respectively, in normals, and was significantly lower in dialyzed and transplanted patients. Experimental azotemia (BUN 65-86 mg/100 ml), induced by the oral ingestion of urea 2-3 g/kg body weight over 24 h, failed to induce any of these abnormalities. The abnormality in platelet ADP and serotonin content in renal failure paralleled the functional platelet defects which characterize these patients and were reversible following dialysis and transplantation.