Production of metabolic products of arachidonic acid during cell-cell interactions.

We studied interactions of human platelets and neutrophils with particular reference to the arachidonic acid pathway. Suspensions of [3H]arachidonate-labeled platelets and unlabeled neutrophils were stimulated with ionophore A23187. We detected several radioactive arachidonate metabolites, which are not produced by platelets alone. These included [3H]-labeled leukotriene B4 (LTB4), dihydroxy-eicosatetraeonic acid (DiHETE), and 5-hydroxy-eicosatetraenoic acid (5-HETE). DiHETE was formed when the platelet product [3H]12-HETE was added to ionophore-stimulated neutrophils. In addition, DiHETE was the major metabolite when [3H]5-HETE, a neutrophil arachidonate product, was added to stimulated platelets. We therefore suggest that upon stimulation, platelet-derived arachidonate can serve as precursor for the neutrophil-derived eicosanoids LTB4 and 5-HETE, and the platelet-derived product 12-HETE can be metabolized to DiHETE by stimulated human neutrophils. More recently we have shown that 12-HETE from thrombin-stimulated platelets can also be metabolized to a new product, 12,20-DiHETE, by unstimulated human neutrophils. It would appear that the platelet and neutrophil lipoxygenase pathways take part in cell-cell interactions--an observation that suggests a role for the neutrophils that are present in hemostatic plugs, thrombi, and inflammatory processes.