From Asthma to Atherosclerosis — 5-Lipoxygenase, Leukotrienes, and Inflammation

Eicosanoids are lipid mediators of inflammation; they include a variety of compounds (prostaglandins, thromboxanes, leukotrienes, hydroxy- and epoxy-fatty acids, lipoxins, and isoprostanes) that are derived from the ubiquitous 20-carbon atom arachidonate (20 in Greek is “eicosa”) and a few similar polyunsaturated fatty acids. These fatty acids are esterified in the phospholipids of biologic membranes and then released in response to a variety of stimuli to become substrates for metabolizing enzymes. More than 20 years ago, Samuelsson and coworkers identified leukotrienes as a class of eicosanoids that are derived through the action of 5-lipoxygenase. This enzyme, which is selectively expressed in . . .