Differential effects of aspirin and dexamethasone on phospholipase A2 and C activities and arachidonic acid release from endothelial cells in response to bradykinin and leukotriene D4.

The CPAE bovine endothelial cell line may be stimulated to produce eicosanoids. Leukotriene D4 increased the release of arachidonic acid primarily by activating phospholipase A2 while bradykinin activated the phospholipase C pathway. Cells pretreated with dexamethasone, a phospholipase A2 inhibitor, no longer responded to stimulation by LTD4 but did release arachidonic acid when treated with bradykinin. Aspirin blocked bradykinin-stimulated production of arachidonic acid but left the response to LTD4 unaffected. We conclude that these cells produce eicosanoids by activation of both PLA2 and PLC, and that the two different methods of arachidonic acid release can be distinguished by using the common anti-inflammatory drugs aspirin and dexamethasone.