Metabolism of (n-6) and (n-3) polyunsaturated fatty acids by human platelets.

Human platelets metabolize 7,10,13,16-docosatetraenoic acid and 4,7,10,13,16-docosapentaenoic acid into 22-carbon thromboxanes 19-carbon HHT analogs and 14-hydroxy fatty acids via the lipoxygenase pathway. Conversely the two analogous (n-3) acids, 7,10,13,16,19-docosapentaenoic acid and 4,7,10,13,16,19-docosahexaenoic acid, are metabolized only into a pair of isomeric 11- and 14-hydroxy fatty acids. These findings suggest that platelets may contain more than one lipoxygenase.