Hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acids and other unsaturated fatty acids inhibit endotoxin-induced thromboplastin activity in...

Human peripheral blood monocytes possessed increased thromboplastin activity when exposed to 10 micrograms/ml of bacterial endotoxin for 2 h. The effects of endotoxin were strongly inhibited by 10-20 microM of several unsaturated fatty acids: arachidonic, dihomo-gamma-linolenic, linoleic, linolenic and oleic acids. Two saturated fatty acids, arachidic and stearic acids, produced minimal inhibition at 20 microM. Three lipoxygenase-derived hydroxyfatty acids were also inhibitory, with IC50 values of 10 microM (5- and 12-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acids) and 20 microM (15-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid). Leukotriene B4, 1 nM to 1 microM, was inactive. None of the fatty acids affected the ability of standard thromboplastin to shorten the clotting time of normal plasma or affected the activity of endotoxin as measured by a Limulus clotting assay.