Characterization of the arachidonate-containing molecular species of phosphoglycerides in the human neutrophil.

Neutrophils were labeled with high specific activity, [3H]-arachidonate and separated into their arachidonate-containing phosphoglycerides using a slight modification of the normal phase and reverse phase HPLC described by Patton et al. The individual molecular species of PC, PE and PI containing arachidonate were characterized by fast atom bombardment/mass spectrometry techniques. Eight major arachidonate-containing molecular species of PC, six major arachidonate-containing molecular species of PE and two major arachidonate-containing molecular species of PI could be found. With the structures of the phosphoglycerides eluting from the reverse phase HPLC column known, general trends in the HPLC elution behavior of 1-0-alkyl, 1-alk-1-enyl and 1-acyl-2-arachidonoyl phosphoglycerides could be observed.