Conversion of 5,8,11-eicosatrienoic acid to leukotrienes C3 and D3

5,8,11-Eicosatrienoic acid was converted by mouse mastocytoma cells stimulated with ionophore A23187 to two slow reacting substances. These were characterized by spectroscopy and by chemical and enzymatic degradations as two geometrical isomers of 5-hydroxy-6-S-glutathionyl-7,9,11-eicosatrienoic acid (E,E,Z; leukotriene C3 and E,E,E; 11-trans-leukotriene C3). Corresponding cysteinylglycine compounds (leukotriene D3 and 11-trans leukotriene D3) were obtained from the leukotriene C3 isomers by treatment with kidney gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase. The biological effects of leukotrienes C3 and D3, on the isolated guinea pig ileum, were approximately the same as of leukotrienes derived from arachidonic acid.