Leukotriene B4 is an incomplete agonist for the activation of human neutrophils

Leukotriene B4 is the major biologically-active metabolite of arachidonate in stimulated neutrophils and previously has been shown to be a potent stimulus for neutrophil chemotaxis and aggregation. It is a less potent agonist for the secretion of granular contents from neutrophils. In the present study we have shown that leukotriene B4 does not activate all of the neutrophil responses seen with chemotactic peptides or the calcium ionophore A23187. This conclusion is based on the failure of exogenous leukotriene B4 to induce neutrophils to: (1) synthesize 5-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid or leukotriene B4 from endogenous arachidonate, (2) release arachidonate from membrane lipids, or (3) synthesize platelet-activating factor.