Metabolism of 5,6-epoxyeicosatrienoic acid by the human platelet. Formation of novel thromboxane analogs.

Radiolabeled cis-(+-)-5,6-epoxyeicosatrienoic acid (5(6)-EpETrE) was incubated with a suspension of isolated human platelets in order to study its metabolic fate. The epoxide slowly disappeared from the suspension and was completely metabolized within 30 min. After extraction and analysis by reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography, seven metabolites were found. Addition of either indomethacin (0.01 mM, cyclooxygenase inhibitor) or BW755C (0.1 mM, cyclooxygenase/lipoxygenase inhibitor) to the incubations blocked the formation of four and six metabolites, respectively, 1,2-Epoxy-3,3,3-trichloropropane (inhibitor of microsomal epoxide hydrolase) failed to inhibit the formation of 5,6-dihydroxyeicosatrienoic acid (5,6-DiHETrE), a hydrolysis product of the precursor 5(6)-EpETrE. The metabolites were characterized by UV spectroscopy, negative ion chemical ionization liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry, gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and, in one instance, coelution with synthetic standard. Three primary platelet metabolites were structurally determined to be 5,6-epoxy-12-hydroxyeicosatrienoic acid, 5,6-epoxy-12-hydroxyheptadecadienoic acid, and a unique bicyclic metabolite, 5-hydroxy-6,9-epoxy-thromboxane B1, which originated from intramolecular hydrolysis of 5,6-epoxythromboxane-B1. This thromboxane analog was partially separated into stereoisomers and coeluted with the racemic synthetic standard in gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry. Three other metabolites were characterized as 5,6,12-trihydroxyeicosatrienoic acid, 5,6,12-trihydroxyheptadecadienoic acid, and 5,6-dihydroxythromboxane-B1, and resulted from the hydrolysis of the corresponding epoxides rather than from the metabolism of 5,6-DiHETrE. The latter was not metabolized by platelet cyclooxygenase or lipoxygenase. The biosynthesis of two cyclooxygenase metabolites indicated the formation of unstable 5,6-epoxythromboxane-A1 as an intermediate precursor. Platelet aggregation was not induced by 5(6)-EpETrE, although responsiveness to arachidonic acid was reduced following preincubation with the epoxide. The platelet metabolites of 5(6)-EpETrE might be useful in assessing its in vivo production in humans.