Contrasting in vitro lymphocyte chemotactic activity of the hydroxyl enantiomers of 12‐hydroxy‐5,8,10,14‐eicosatetraenoic acid

Abstract

The chemotactic activity of 12(R)‐hydroxy‐5,8,10,14‐eicosatetraenoic acid (12(R)‐HETE), 12(S)‐HETE and leukotriene B4 (LTB4) for human mixed peripheral blood lymphocytes has been assessed in a 48‐well microchemotaxis assay. Responses to the standard lymphocyte chemoattractants, zymosan‐activated plasma, casein and N‐formyl‐methionyl‐leucyl‐phenylalanine (fMLP) were also measured. 12(R)‐HETE was shown to be chemotactic for lymphocytes over the range 5 × 10−7 to 5 × 10−5 m. In contrast, negligible chemotactic responses to 12(S)‐HETE were obtained. LTB4 was 200 times more potent than 12(R)‐HETE as a lymphocyte chemoattractant, although maximal responses to the two agonists were similar. 12(R)‐HETE and LTB4, which are present in extracts of samples from the skin lesions of psoriasis, may be, at least in part, responsible for the lymphocyte infiltrate which is a characteristic feature of this disease. 1988 British Pharmacological Society