Arachidonic acid activation of guinea pig lung guanylate cyclase by two independent mechanisms.

The purpose of this study was to elucidate the mechanisms by which arachidonic acid activates guanylate cyclase from guinea pig lung. Guanylate cyclase activities in both homogenate and soluble fractions of lung were examined. Guanylate cyclase activity was determined by measuring formtion of [32-P] cyclic GMP from alpha-[32-P] GTP in the presence of Mn2+, a phosphodiesterase inhibitor and a suitable GTP regenerating system. Arachidonic acid, and to a slight extent dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid, activated guanylate cyclase in homogenate but not soluble fractions. Similarly, phospholipase A2 activated homogenate but not soluble guanylate cyclase. Methyl arachidonate, linolenic, linoleic and oleic acids did not activate guanylate cyclase in either fraction. High concentrations of indomethacin, meclofenamate and aspirin inhibited activation of homogenate guanylate cyclase by arachidonic acid and phospholipase A2, without altering basal enzyme activity. These data suggested that a product of cyclooxygenase activity, present in the microsomal fraction, may have accounted for the capacity of arachidonic acid to activate homogenate guanylate cyclase. This view was supported by the findings that addition of the microsomal fraction to be soluble fraction enabled arachidonic acid to activate soluble guanylate cyclase, an effect which was reduced with cycloooxygenase inhibitors. Lipoxygenase activated guanylate cyclase in homogenate and soluble fractions. Arachidonic acid potentiated the activation of soluble guanylate cyclase by lipoxygenase, and this effect was inhibited with nordihydroguairetic acid, 1-phenyl-3-pyrazolidone and hydroquinone, but not with high concentrations of indomethacin, meclofenamate or aspirin. These data suggest that arachidonic acid activates guinea pig lung guanylate cyclase indirectly, via two independent mechanisms, one involving the microsomal fraction and the other involving lipoxygenase.