Previous studies showed that benzoquinone derivatives inhibited platelet aggregation. but there is no information available on their cytotoxicity to platelets. 1n the present study. washed platelets isolated from rats were treated with 1.4-benzoquinone. a representative benzoquinone derivative. to examine its antiaggregating effect and cytotoxicity. 1.4-Benzoquinone significantly inhibited thrombin-induced platelet aggregation. Consistent with this finding. 1.4-benzoquinone suppressed cytosolic calcium increase induced by thrombin. To examine the cytotoxicity by 1 A-benzoquinone in platelets. turbidometry and lactate dehydrogenase release were measured. Treatment with 1.4-benzoquinone resulted in slight cytotoxicity (30% release at 60 min) to platelets. However. the cytotoxicity was not correlated with increase of cytosolic calcium levels in platelets. All these data suggested that 1.4-benzoquinone inhibited thrombin-induced platelet aggregation mediated by inhibition elf calcium level increase and that 1.4-benzoquinone reveals cytotoxicity to some extent without alteration of calcium level in platelets.