Arachidonic acid epoxides. Isolation and structure of two hydroxy epoxide intermediates in the formation of 8,11,12- and 10,11,12-trihydroxyeicosatrienoic acids.

Arachidonic acid and 12-hydroperoxyeicosa-5,8, 10, 14-tetraenoic acid are converted by a 0-30% ammonium sulfate fraction (Fraction A) of the high speed supernatant of rat lung into two hydroxy epoxides (EH-1 and EH-2) which have been purified by high performance liquid chromatography. These hydroxy epoxides are converted quantitatively into two triols (10,11,12- from EH-1 and 8,11,12- from EH-2) by a 30-50% ammonium sulfate fraction (Fraction B) of the high speed supernatant. We propose the structures, 8-hydroxy-11,12-epoxyeicosa-5,9,14-trienoic acid (EH-2) and 10-hydroxy-11,12-epoxyeicosa-5,8,14-trienoic acids (EH-1) for these intermediates on the basis of mass spectral interpretation of several derivatives including the lithium aluminum hydride reduction product of both natural and 18Oxygenated derivatives.