Arachidonic acid metabolism by isolated and cultured middle ear epithelial cells from the chinchilla.

Thin-layer chromatography was used to examine the metabolism of arachidonic acid and prostaglandins (PGs) in freshly isolated and cultured middle ear epithelial cells from the chinchilla. The freshly isolated cells converted arachidonic acid predominantly to PGE2, while those cells grown in culture for 10 days acquired the ability to convert arachidonic acid to 6-keto-PGF1 alpha, PGD2, and PGE2. Incubation of the isolated cells and primary cultures with acetylsalicylic acid and indomethacin inhibited the formation of these PGs. These findings suggest that studies on the factors regulating arachidonic acid metabolism in middle ear epithelium may help to explain the role of eicosanoids in middle ear secretions, particularly in relation to the pathophysiology of otitis media.