Characterization of monohydroxylated lipoxygenase metabolites of arachidonic and linoleic acid in rabbit peritoneal tissue.

Rabbit peritoneal tissue contains a lipoxygenase which converts arachidonic acid preferentially into 15-hydroxy-5,8,11,13-eicosatetraenoic acid. Stereochemical analysis of the menthyloxycarbonyl derivative of this metabolite by means of a high-pressure liquid chromatography method, involving the use of a Ag+ -loaded cation-exchange column, indicated that it has mainly the 15-Ls-hydroxy configuration. The biosynthesis of 15-hydroxy-5,8,11,13-eicosatetraenoic acid could be confirmed during examination of the monohydroxy acids obtained without addition of fatty acids, thus formed from endogenously released substrate. However, the 9-and 13-hydroxy derivatives of linoleic acid were also formed and in quantities exceeding those of 15-hydroxy-5,8,11,13-eicosatetraenoic acid.