Inability of rabbit peritoneal polymorphonuclear leukocytes to synthesize arachidonic acid from linoleic acid

In PMN leukocytes isolated from rabbit peritoneal exudate the major phospholipids were choline phosphoglycerides (40%), ethanolamine phosphoglycerides (26%) and sphingomyelin (20%) with lesser amounts (3-6%) of serine and inositol phosphoglycerides. The essential fatty acid, linoleic acid, predominated (greater than 35%) in each phospholipid except in inositol phosphoglycerides where it was slightly less than arachidonate and in sphingomyelin where saturated acids predominated. However, on a total mass basis there was more arachidonate in ethanolamine and choline phosphoglycerides than in inositol phosphoglycerides. The uptake, incorporation and metabolism of [1-14C] fatty acids of varying chain length and degrees of unsaturation were examined. All fatty acids were taken up but incorporation of saturated acids varied inversely with chain length. Arachidic acid and trans-isomers of 18:1 and 18:2 were esterified primarily to triacylglycerol whereas phospholipids contained a large portion of the other acids. Icosatrienoic and arachidonic acids were esterified to ethanolamine, serine and inositol phosphoglycerides to a comparatively greater extent, reflecting the normal distribution of these fatty acids. PMN leukocytes had a low capacity for delta 9 desaturation and chain elongation and no delta 6 or delta 5 desaturation could be detected. Thus, PMN leukocytes lack the ability to form arachidonate from 18:2 precursor molecules available in the cellular neutral lipids and phospholipids and arachidonate per se is an essential fatty acid for these cells.