Intense rises of unesterified arachidonate plasma levels in stressed humans.

Intense rises of plasma arachidonate have been observed in men in various physiopathological circumstances: in old patients who suffered from hypertension, in patients before and after various surgical procedures, in patients submitted to cardiopulmonary bypass with extracorporeal circulation or to abdominal aortic prosthesis, and in young volunteers or patients submitted to a strain test on bicycle ergometer. The plasmatic arachidonate concentration sometimes reached values ten times higher than the maximal normal value of 5 micrograms/ml plasma registered in 157 controls. These important arachidonate releases have been related to stress (pain, operative or anticipation stress).