13-Hydroxyoctadecadienoic acid is the vessel wall chemorepellant factor, LOX.

We have previously reported that endothelial cells synthesize a cytosol-associated, lipoxygenase-derived metabolite, LOX, which acts as a chemorepellant and, in so doing, maintains the vessel wall thromboresistance. In this study we demonstrate that LOX is a 13-hydroxylinoleic acid (13-OH-18:2) derived from linoleic acid and identical to 13-hydroxy-9-cis,11-trans-octadecadienoic acid, as measured by both reverse phase high pressure liquid chromatography and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. In addition, we demonstrate that 13-OH-18:2 is produced in significantly greater quantities by endothelial cells than by smooth muscle cels or by fibroblasts. Furthermore, we demonstrate that 13-OH-18:2 is produced in microgram amounts under basal conditions and is decreased by thrombin, calcium ionophore, and trypsin stimulation. And finally, we demonstrate that endothelial cells do not synthesize any significant amounts of lipoxygenase-derived arachidonic acid metabolites either under basal or stimulated conditions unless exogenous arachidonic acid is added. These observations indicate that the major lipoxygenase-derived, chemorepellant metabolite produced by the endothelial is 13-hydroxy-9-cis,11-trans-octadecadienoic acid.