Human Alveolar Macrophages Produce Leukotriene B4

• Published in: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS Vol. 79; no. 24; pp. 7866 - 7870
• Main Authors: Anna O. S. Fels, Pawlowski, N. A., Cramer, E. B., King, T. K. C., Cohn, Z. A., Scott, W. A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 01-12-1982; National Acad Sciences
• Subjects: Alveolar macrophages; Arachidonic Acid; Arachidonic Acids - metabolism; Calcimycin - pharmacology; Calcium; Calcium metabolism; Cells, Cultured; Chemotaxis, Leukocyte; Elution; Esters; Humans; Immunology; Leukotriene B4 - biosynthesis; Leukotrienes; Lungs; Macrophages; Macrophages - metabolism; Neutrophils; Pulmonary Alveoli - cytology
• ISSN: 0027-8424; 1091-6490
• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.79.24.7866

Human alveolar macrophages obtained by bronchoalveolar lavage were labeled overnight with [3H]arachidonic acid. The cells were stimulated with calcium ionophore A23187, and the 20:4 oxygenated metabolites released into the culture medium were identified by reverse-phase HPLC. Leukotriene B4was the major 20:4 metabolite produced by these cultures. Leukotriene B4was identified by its reverse-phase HPLC elution time, its UV spectrum, and its chemotactic and chemokinetic activities for neutrophils. In addition, the macrophage- and neutrophil-derived leukotriene B4free acids and methyl esters were found to have identical HPLC retention times.