Ligated complement receptors do not activate the arachidonic acid cascade in resident peritoneal macrophages.

Receptors for IgG stimulate the release of approximately 20% of cellular arachidonic acid (20:4) from murine resident peritoneal macrophages. In contrast, C3 receptors do not trigger the secretion of any 20:4 in excess of that released constitutively from the cells. Since the ability of C3 receptors to promote phagocytosis is regulated, we compared resting macrophages, whose C3 receptors do not promote phagocytosis of C3-coated particles, and lymphokine-treated cells, whose receptors do promote ingestion. Despite their ability to promote phagocytosis, the C3 receptor of lymphokine-treated macrophages remain unable to initiate release of 20:4. We speculate that the intracellular signals that initiate phagocytosis are distinct from those that initiate release of 20:4.