Thromboxane A 2 is a positive feedback lipid mediator produced following platelet activation. The G q -coupled thromboxane A 2 receptor subtype, TP␣, and G i -coupled TP subtype have been shown in human platelets. ADPinduced platelet aggregation requires concomitant signaling from two P2 receptor subtypes, P2Y1 and P2T AC , coupled to G q and G i , respectively. We investigated whether the stable thromboxane A 2 mimetic, (15S)-hydroxy-9,11-epoxymethanoprosta-5Z,13E-dienoic acid (U46619), also causes platelet aggregation by concomitant signaling through G q and G i , through co-activation of TP␣ and TP receptor subtypes. Here we report that secretion blockade with Ro 31-8220, a protein kinase C inhibitor, completely inhibited U46619-induced, but not ADP-or thrombin-induced, platelet aggregation. Ro 31-8220 had no effect on U46619-induced intracellular calcium mobilization or platelet shape change. Furthermore, U46619-induced intracellular calcium mobilization and shape change were unaffected by A3P5P, a P2Y1 receptor-selective antagonist, and/or cyproheptadine, a 5-hydroxytryptamine subtype 2A receptor antagonist. Either Ro 31-8220 or AR-C66096, a P2T AC receptor selective antagonist, abolished U46619-induced inhibition of adenylyl cyclase. In addition, AR-C66096 drastically inhibited U46619-mediated platelet aggregation, which was further inhibited by yohimbine, an ␣ 2A -adrenergic receptor antagonist. Furthermore, inhibition of U46619-induced platelet aggregation by Ro 31-8220 was relieved by activation of the G i pathway by selective activation of either the P2T AC receptor or the ␣ 2A -adrenergic receptor. We conclude that whereas thromboxane A 2 causes intracellular calcium mobilization and shape change independently, thromboxane A 2 -induced inhibition of adenylyl cyclase and platelet aggregation depends exclusively upon secretion of other agonists that stimulate G i -coupled receptors.Upon exposure to activating agonists (e.g. thrombin, ADP, and collagen), platelets liberate arachidonic acid stored as phospholipid in the platelet plasma membrane that is converted into thromboxane A 2 by sequential oxygenation of arachidonic acid by cycloxygenase and thromboxane A 2 synthase (1). The released thromboxane A 2 acts as a positive feedback mediator in the activation and recruitment of more platelets to the primary hemostatic plug (2). Thromboxane A 2 exerts its actions via specific G protein-coupled receptors and has been described as either a potent platelet agonist (2, 3) or as a weak agonist with an important role in amplifying the response of platelets to more potent agonists (4).Pharmacological studies indicate the presence of two potential thromboxane A 2 receptor (TP receptor) 1 subtypes on human platelets (5, 6). The TP receptor gene has been cloned and encodes two subtypes of the TP receptor that result from alternative splicing of the primary transcript (7). The subtypes share the identical first 293 amino acids but possess different carboxyl-terminal domains. A complete cDNA of the 343 amino acid T...