Arachidonic acid epoxygenase. Stereochemical analysis of the endogenous epoxyeicosatrienoic acids of human kidney cortex.

Mass spectral and chromatographic analysis demonstrates the presence of 14,15-, 11,12- and 8,9-epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (44%, 33% and 23% of the total, respectively) in human kidney cortex. Chiral analysis of the human renal epoxyeicosatrienoic acids shows the formation of 8,9-, 11,12- and 14,15-epoxyeicosatrienoic acids in a 1:1, 4:1 and 2:1 ratio of antipodes, respectively. These results demonstrate the biosynthetic origin of the human kidney 11,12- and 14,15-epoxyeicosatrienoic acids and suggest a role for renal cytochrome P-450 in the bioactivation of endogenous pools of arachidonic acid.