Arachidonic acid turnover in response to lipopolysaccharide and opsonized zymosan in human monocyte-derived macrophages.

Macrophages are an important source of the lipid mediators, arachidonic acid metabolites and platelet-activating factor (PAF), produced during inflammation. Studies were undertaken to identify the phospholipid substrates that can serve as a source of arachidonic acid in human monocyte-derived macrophages exposed to the inflammatory stimuli bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and opsonized zymosan (OpZ). Since PAF is derived from 1-alkyl-2-acyl-glycerophosphocholine, it was of interest to determine if this phospholipid precursor could also serve as a source of arachidonic acid. The day-5 macrophages incorporated 38% of the available [3H]arachidonic acid into lipid by 4 h, 54% of which was in phospholipid [phosphatidylcholine (PC) greater than phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) greater than phosphatidylinositol (PI)]. The proportion of label incorporated into ether-linked PC and PE increased with time. After prelabelling with [3H]arachidonic acid, the effect of stimuli on the redistribution of label within phospholipids was followed. Without stimulus there was a loss of label from PC, PI and phosphatidic acid by 3 h, but an increase of label in PE. The [3H]arachidonic acid that was lost from PC in the absence of stimulus was derived solely from the 1-acyl-linked species of PC, whereas an increase in label occurred in the 1-alkyl-linked species of PC. By contrast, LPS stimulation resulted in a preferential, dose-dependent loss of label from PC and PI, which was maximal between 1 and 3 h after adding the LPS. In addition, LPS induced a 35% decrease in the molar quantity of PI in the macrophages but had no effect on the quantity of PC, PE or phosphatidylserine. Stimulation with OpZ also resulted in a loss of label, mainly from PC and PI. Of the total label lost from PC in response to LPS or OpZ, approx. 50% was derived from the 1-alkyl-linked species. The results suggest that phospholipase C- and phospholipase A2-mediated mechanisms for arachidonic acid release are activated in human macrophages exposed to the inflammatory stimuli LPS and OpZ. In addition, 1-alkyl-linked PC can serve as a source of arachidonic acid and as a precursor for PAF production in the stimulated macrophages.