34 - Lipid Mediators Flashcards
Arachidonic acid
Precursor for many bioactive lipids
Also called C20:4 (20 carbons, 4 double bonds), eicosatetraenoid acid.
How does the body get arachidonic acid?
From dietary poly-unsaturated fatty acids
Indirectly as linoleic acid, which is converted to arachidonic acid.
Directly as arachidonic acid
Type of fat that arachidonic acid is
Omega-6-polyunsaturated acid
How is arachidonic acid stored?
Stored esterified in membrane phospholipids (plasma, nuclear membranes)
How is arachidonic acid released from cell membranes?
Phospholipase A2 releases arachidonic acid.
Phospholipase A2 is activated by increased intracellular Ca2+ or ERK (extracellular receptor kinase)
Part of arachidonic acid pathway that is tightly regulated
Phospholipase A2 activation. If not controlled, can have excessive bradykinins and leukotrienes produced.
Component of many snake venoms
Phospholipase A2
Name for biologically-active metabolites of arachidonic acid
Eicosanoids
What determines eicosanoid type?
Which type of enzyme metabolises arachidonic acid
Enzymes that can metabolise arachidonic acid
1)
2)
3)
1) Cyclo-oxygenase I (COXI) - constitutively expressed
2) COXII - Inducible by inflammatory stimuli (EG: IFN)
3) Lipoxygenase (expressed in inflammatory cells, eosinophils, mast cells)
Effect of arachidonic acid metabolism by COXI
Physiological prostaglandin production
Effect of arachidonic acid metabolism by COXII
Patho-physiological prostaglandin production
Intermediate stage between arachidonic acid and stable prostaglandins?
Cyclic endoperoxidases (very unstable). These are quickly converted to stable prostaglandins by peroxidases.
Nomenclature of stable prostaglandins
Letter describes ring structure.
Number describes number of double bonds
PGE2 1) 2) 3) 4)
1) Relaxes vascular smooth muscle
2) Hyperalgesic
3) Pyrogenic
4) Angiogenic (wound healing, tumour growth)
Prostaglandins that are bronchoconstrictors
PGD, PGF2alpha
Site of action of prostaglandins
Very local.
Degraded by endothelial cells of pulmonary capillaries.
Unstable, don’t last more than a few minutes.
Main indications of NSAIDS
1)
2)
3)
1) Analgesic
2) Antipyretic
3) Anti-inflammatory
Effect of PGE2 on blood flow
Increases blood flow