The release of polyunsaturated fatty acids and their lipoxygenation in the brain.

Stimulation of neuronal tissues with neurotransmitters results in the release of the polyunsaturated fatty acids 20:4n6 and 22:6n3. Astroglial cells hydrolyze 20:4n6 and 22:6n3 equally well under both stimulated and basal conditions. Despite the high abundance of 22:6n3 in neuronal membranes, 20:4n6 is preferentially hydrolyzed from neuronal cells. These results suggest that 22:6n3 may be of more physiological importance in neuronal membranes as a membrane component rather than as a released free fatty acid while in astroglia, release of 22:6n3 may also be a significant step involved in receptor-stimulated signaling processes. Oxygenation of these polyunsaturated fatty acids occurs in the brain. However, in contrast to the prevailing belief, lipid peroxidation rather than lipoxygenation is primarily responsible for their formation. In rodent brains, any significant lipoxygenation appears to occur only in the pineal. The production of hydroxylated polyunsaturated fatty acids in pineal may play a role in the pineal function especially in relation to melatonin synthesis.