5-L-hydroxy-6,8,11,14-eicosatetraenoate potentiates the human neutrophil degranulating action of platelet-activating factor.

Platelet-activating factor (AAGPC) and two of its structural analogues degranulated human neutrophils with respective potencies that were increased up to 100 to 1000-fold by 16 nM to 5 microM of 5-L-hydroxyeicosatetraenoate (5-L-HETE). 5-rac-HETE had similar actions but 8-rac-HETE was without effect. Furthermore, 5-L-HETE did not influence the degranulating actions of C5a, A23187 or a formalated oligopeptide chemotactic factor and none of the HETEs, by themselves, caused degranulation. Thus, 5-L-HETE and AAGPC selectively interact to induce degranulation. Since these products rapidly form in stimulated PMNs, they may serve as potentiator and agonist, respectively, to transduce biological signals into cell function.