Relationship of biosynthesis of slow reacting substance to intracellular glutathione concentrations.

To further elucidate the role of glutathione (GSH) in the biosynthesis of slow reacting substance (SRS), SRS generation was studied in rat basophilic leukemia cells that had been preincubated with 2-cyclohexen-1-one or diethyl maleate to decrease their intracellular GSH concentrations. At low GSH levels SRS formation was markedly inhibited. The formation of other lipoxygenase products was much less affected, although some decrease in 5-hydroxyicosatetraenoic acid formation also occurred, apparently due in part to less rapid reduction of the 5-hydroperoxide.