Methods for the Analysis of Arachidonic Acid-Derived Metabolites in Platelets

Arachidonic acid (AA) is the precursor of a series of bioactive lipids with relevant cell signaling and pathophysiological actions. Arachidonic acid signaling needs the first step of release from the membrane, being the released AA the substrate of four possible enzymatic pathways: prostaglandin endoperoxide H synthase (PGHS), lipoxygenase (LOX), cytochrome p450 (CYP 450), and anandamide pathways which lead to the formation of the bioactive 20-carbon oxygenated polyunsaturated fatty acids. The analysis of the different bioactive lipids formed in platelets, with AA as their precursor, is of relevance to the study of the mechanisms involved in platelet aggregation as well as for the development of novel antiplatelet and antithrombotic drugs. In this chapter, we will discuss the state of the art to detect and quantify different metabolites in resting and activated platelets.