Characteristics of leukotriene (LT) and hydroxy eicosatetraenoic acid (HETE) synthesis in human leukocytes in vitro: effect of arachidonic acid concentration.

Suspensions of human blood leukocytes and platelets were stimulated with the ionophore A23187 in the presence of increasing concentrations of arachidonic acid. Nine metabolites of the 5-, 12- and 15-lipoxygenase and the cyclooxygenase pathways were analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography in order to study the rate-limiting steps and other characteristics of their biosynthesis. The data indicate that the LTA4 hydrolase and the LTA4 glutathione transferase activities are respectively the limiting factors in the synthesis of LTB4 and LTC4. At high substrate concentrations (5 X 10(-5)M and above), the 5-lipoxygenase activity was inhibited whereas the synthesis of the 15-HETE (15-lipoxygenase product) increased linearly up to the highest concentration tested (3 X 10(-4)M). The data also indicate that contrary to 5-HETE and LTs, 15-HETE is not formed upon stimulation with the ionophore, but only following incubation with exogenous arachidonic acid (20 microM and above), pointing out major differences in the synthesis of 5- and 15-lipoxygenase products.