The levels of four acid hydrolases, beta-N-acetyl glucosaminidase, beta-glucuronidase, beta-galactosidase, and acid phosphatase, and the extent of their release (release II) by thrombin was determined in platelets from nine normal subjects, nine patients with storage pool disease, and in normal platelets which had been exposed to aspirin. The levels of all four hydrolases were normal in patients with SPD. However, release of three of these hydrolases (acid phosphatase was an exception) by low concentrations of thrombin (0.015 and 0.04 U/ml) was decreased in the patients as a group, although considerable variation in the extent of release of each enzyme was noted. In contrast, aspirin failed to inhibit release II in normal platelets (except for a slight impairment in the release of beta-N-acetyl glucosaminidase), although release I (serotonin, ATP and ADP) was inhibited. All release defects could be overcome by using higher concentrations of thrombin (0.2 U/ml). The normal levels of acid hydrolases in the platelets of patients with SPD (who are deficient in the platelet dense granules) suggest that these enzymes are not normally stored in the dense granules, but rather in alpha-granules. The findings also support the conclusions of previous studies that the release reaction is impaired in SPD. This release defect appears to be different from that seen in normal platelets after exposure to aspirin.