Blood, 1960, Vol. 16, No. 2, pp. 1173-1183.
© 1960 American Society of Hematology, Inc.
Carbohydrates of Human and Bovine Platelets
E. E. WOODSIDE 1 and
W. KOCHOLATY 1
1 Biochemistry Division, U. S. Army Medical Research Laboratory, Fort
Knox, Ky.
1. Average values for the total carbohydrate content of human and bovine
platelets were 8.47 and 8.77 per cent of the dry weight, respectively. On a dry
weight basis, human platelets were calculated to be approximately one-third
larger than bovine platelets. By chemical and chromatographic analysis, glucose, galactose, mannose, fucose, ribose, glucosamine, galactosamine, glucuronic
acid and sialic acid were detected in both human and bovine platelets.
2. Glucose and ribose were found to be the only monomers present in the
5 per cent TCA-soluble fractions of both human and bovine platelets. The
TCA-insoluble residue contained glucose, galactose, mannose, fucose, ribose,
glucuronic acid, glucosamine, galactosamine and sialic acid. The acid mucopolysaccharide fraction of both human and bovine platelets contained galactosamine and glucuronic acid monomers as well as galactose, glucose, and
ribose.
3. Glycogen was found in both human and bovine platelets. Total glycogen
was extracted by 5 per cent TCA from sonorated human and bovine p1atelets;
however, subsequent ethanol precipitation of tile glycogen was incomplete.
In contrast, 30 per cent KOH extraction followed by ethanol precipitation
resulted in complete recoveries of the glycogen.
4. Variations ill both total hexose and glycogen contents were found in both
human and bovine platelets. These variations were partially dependent on the
length of storage of the platelets in whole blood or in 0.85 per cent NaCl after
separation from whole blood.
Submitted on October 23, 1959
Accepted on January 28, 1960
