12-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid is a long-lived substance in the rabbit circulation

12-Hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (12-HETE) is one of the major metabolites formed from arachidonic acid in platelets. We have recently shown that the in vitro metabolism of 12-HETE by human leukocytes, with and without stimulation, is effectively inhibited by the addition of physiological concentrations of albumin, probably by sequestration of the compound. In the present paper, we have studied the in vivo metabolism of 12-HETE in the rabbit, using either [1-14C]- or [14C(U)]12-HETE. Distribution of radioactivity was followed in urine, plasma, and bile, as well as in a number of tissues. In most of the tissues examined, the hydrophilic radioactivity constituted more than 50% of the total radioactivity after 20 min. When the lipophilic fraction was analyzed, around 15% of the radioactivity was shown to be unesterified 12-HETE, and only a very minor part could be detected as metabolites. The dominating lipophilic compound in the circulation after i.v. administration of radiolabeled 12-HETE was at all time points (1-60 min.) the parent compound, as analyzed by HPTLC and HPLC. A comparison of the plasma metabolite profiles obtained when [1-14C]- and [14C(U)]12-HETE were used displayed almost identical patterns, thus indicating that beta-oxidized metabolites either were not formed or were rapidly removed from the circulation. The appearance of large amounts of water-soluble radioactivity with time supported the latter conclusion. Several minor metabolites were seen that chromatographed in the dihydroxy acid region as judged by HPLC and TLC. The major one of these compounds represented about 10% of the lipophilic plasma radioactivity after 60 min., while unmetabolized 12-HETE at this stage still represented about 30%. The metabolite had a polarity similar to 12,20-dihydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid; however, when chromatographed together, these two compounds separated, indicating a different structure of the metabolite. Our findings are in agreement with in vitro data concerning the protective effect of albumin on the metabolism of 12-HETE and is the first extensive metabolic study of 12-HETE in vivo covering all metabolic possibilities involving the carbon skeleton.