Slow-reacting substances and their formation by a lipoxygenase pathway.

Slow-reacting substances are formed from arachidonic acid by the action of a lipoxygenase, which leads to the formation of 5-hydroperoxy, 6, 8, 11, 14 eicosatetraenoic acid. The covalent structures of SRS-A from guinea-pig lung and SRS from RBL-1 cells have been determined by protein chemical analysis and electron impact mass spectrometry of a derivative of the intact molecules. The structures of SRS-A and SRS are identical, being 5-hydroxy-6-cysteinyl-glycinyl-7, 9, 11, 14-eicosatetraenoic acid. SRSs may be formed by a combination of the metabolism of arachidonic acid by the lipoxygenase pathway and the glutathione detoxification pathway involving nucleophilic attack on 5,6-oxidoeicosatetraenoic acid.