Cellular regulatory role of leukotriene B4: its effects on cation homeostasis in rabbit neutrophils.

We have found that exogenous leukotriene B4 modifies calcium homeostasis in rabbit neutrophils in a manner essentially analogous to that of the chemotactic peptide f-Met-Leu-Phe. Leukotriene B4 causes a rapid and dose-dependent increase in membrane permeability to calcium and a release of calcium from previously unexchangeable intracellular pool(s). The net result of these changes is to transiently elevate the intracellular level of exchangeable calcium. A stereoisomer of leukotriene B4 with greatly reduced secretory activity toward neutrophils (5S, 12S-di HETE) is essentially without effect on the rate of 45Ca uptake at concentrations equal to those that produce near maximal enhancement by leukotriene B4. Leukotriene B4, in addition to its effects on calcium metabolism, also increases the rate of 22Na influx into rabbit neutrophils. The relationships between the action of leukotriene B4 on calcium homeostasis and the neutrophil-directed activities of arachidonic acid and its lipoxygenase metabolites are discussed