Leukotriene B, a potent chemokinetic and aggregating substance released from polymorphonuclear leukocytes.

Arachidonic acid is metabolised either by cyclooxygenases to produce prostaglandins and thromboxanes or by lipoxygenases to produce mono-, di- and trihydroxyeicosatetraenoic acids (HETEs). Polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) release HETEs, including mono- and dihydroxy fatty acids, when exposed to stimuli such as the calcium ionophore A23187 (refs 1, 2). The mono-HETEs are assumed to be of particular importance with respect to effects on leukocyte function because they have been shown to possess both chemotactic and chemokinetic activities towards PMNs and eosinophils. However, we have now shown that the chemokinetic and aggregating activities released from rat and human PMNs exposed to ionophore A23187 (ref. 5) are not due to the release of mono-HETEs but to that of 5, 12-di-HETE (leukotriene B). This compound is active over the concentration range 10 pg ml-1 to 5 ng ml-1.