The endothelium produces many substances which have the potential to alter hemostasis. We examined the influence of a substance(s) released by cultured bovine aortic endothelial cells on very early events (less than 5 sec) in platelet function, using a new quenched-flow approach. Contributions of the endothelial cell surface to alterations in platelet function were avoided by separating the endothelium and platelets. Superfusates from endothelial cells were allowed to interact with platelets for several seconds, followed by challenge with ADP to induce aggregation. Single-particle counting provided a sensitive index of aggregation kinetics. In this system, unstimulated endothelial-cell superfusate had no effect on aggregation induced by ADP. Stimulation of the endothelial cells with bradykinin produced an unstable factor(s) that potentiated ADP-induced platelet aggregation, was not affected by hemoglobin or cyclooxygenase inhibitions, and had no platelet aggregatory activity on its own. Nitric oxide inhibited aggregation and its effect was blocked by hemoglobin. The identity of the potentiating factor is unknown, but it does not appear to be platelet activating factor, thrombin, ADP, thromboxane, nitric oxide, or endothelium-derived relaxing factor.