Lipopolysaccharides prime whole human blood and isolated neutrophils for the increased synthesis of 5-lipoxygenase products by enhancing arachidonic acid availability: Involvement of the CD14 antigen

Stimulation of heparinized blood with 1 mu M formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (FMLP) resulted in the formation of < 30 pmol/ml plasma of 5-lipoxygenase (5-LO) products. The preincubation of blood with 1 mu g/ml of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (Escherichia coli 0111-B4) for 30 min before stimulation with FMLP resulted in the accumulation of 250-300 pmol of 5-LO products per ml plasma. The major products detected were leukotriene B sub(4) and (5S)-hydroxy-6,8,11,14-eicosatetraenoic acid which were produced in equivalent amounts. The results demonstrate that LPS dramatically increases the ability of blood to generate 5-LO products, and support the putative role of leukotrienes in pathological states involving LPS.