Generation and release of eosinophil chemotactic factor from human polymorphonuclear neutrophils by arachidonic acid

This study describes the generation and release of an eosinophil chemotactic factor from human polymorphonuclear neutrophils, rat basophilic leukemia cells, and from a lymphocyte monocyte basophil suspension by arachidonic acid (AA). The eosinophil chemotactic factor (ECF) is highly specific for eosinophils and resembles the ECF activity obtained from human polymorphonuclear neutrophils after stimulation with the Ca ionophore or during phagocytosis. In this regard, AA-induced ECF represents a biological activity distinct from oxidized AA and its conversion products. AA may therefore have a dual function: it represents an important mechanism of cell activation; as AA is converted into prostaglandins, it appears likely that they exert a modulatory and a suppressive role on biological functions, such as chemotaxis and phagocytosis.