ARACHIDONIC ACID METABOLITES OF HUMAN LYMPHATICS
Abstract
Human lymphatics convert exogenously added
14C-arachidonic acid into PGE2, PGF2alpha and the
main metabolite 6-keto-PGF1alpha. Thromboxane
formation is undetectable either by radiothinlayerchromatography
or by radioimmunology. These data
confirm and extend our earlier findings indicating an
important PGI2-synthetic mechanism in human lymphatics.
Assuming that lymphatic contractility is
regulated at least in part by thromboxane A2, we
propose that this derivative of arachidonic acid
derives from extralymphatic sources.