The extraction of leukotrienes (LTC4, LTD4, and LTE4) from tissue fluids: the metabolism of these mediators during IgE-dependent hypersensitivity reactions in lung.

The metabolites of arachidonic acid known as the leukotrienes are a class of lipid mediators which have potent and diverse biological effects in pulmonary tissue. Leukotrienes C, D, and E (LTC4, LTD4, and LTE4) are known to be principal mediators of immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated hypersensitivity reactions in lung tissue. It is therefore important to develop reliable and quantitative isolation techniques for estimating levels of these mediators in tissue. In this study, LTC4, LTD4, and LTE4 were separated from other arachidonate metabolites by organic extraction procedures. 5-Hydroxyeicosatetraeonic acid and leukotriene B4 extract efficiently into the organic layer of aqueous:ether or aqueous:chloroform extractions, whereas arachidonate metabolites containing conjugated peptides (e.g., LTC4, LTD4, and LTE4) failed to extract into these organic solvents. An extraction step was therefore developed that affords quantitative extraction of LTC4, LTD4, and LTE4 into the organic phase of an isopropanol:ether:H2O mixture. This step is the key for a two-step extraction method that isolates histamine, LTC4, LTD4, and LTE4 with a recovery of 100, 85, 75, and 57%, respectively. One advantage of this separation procedure for obtaining these mediators by organic extraction is an ability to expediently process many samples. Furthermore, the leukotriene content of extracted samples can be analyzed using the guinea pig ileum bioassay without interference from vasoamines or platelet-activating factor. These later substances are eliminated from leukotriene-enriched fractions by this extraction process. When histamine and LTC4 were added to supernatant fluids recovered from isolated lung tissue, they were quantitatively recovered using this extraction method.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)