Differential release of eicosanoids by bradykinin, arachidonic acid and calcium ionophore A23187 in guinea-pig isolated perfused lung

Abstract

The effects of infusions of bradykinin (0.2 microM), calcium ionophore A23187 (0.5 microM) and arachidonic acid (13 microM) on the release of eicosanoids from the guinea-pig isolated perfused lung were investigated using radioimmunoassay for thromboxane B2 (TXB2), 6-oxo-prostaglandin F1 alpha (6-oxo-PGF1 alpha), PGE2, leukotriene B4 (LTB4) and LTC4 and bioassay using the superfusion cascade. Bradykinin released more 6-oxo-PGF1 alpha than TXB2, whereas arachidonic acid and ionophore released more TXB2 than 6-oxo-PGF1 alpha. The time course of eicosanoid release varied with the stimulus: bradykinin and arachidonic acid produced an immediate release, whereas the ionophore showed a slower onset of release. Although the amounts of LTB4 and LTC4 released by the ionophore were very low according to radioimmunoassays, there was evidence from the bioassay of release of a leukotriene-like substance, thought to be LTD4. The leukotriene antagonist FPL 55712 lacks specificity in the guinea-pig trachea; at the concentration used (2 microM) it antagonized contractions of the tracheal strip to PGE2 as well as to LTC4. Our results show that in the guinea-pig perfused lung the metabolism of exogenous arachidonic acid is both qualitatively and quantitatively different from the metabolism of endogenous arachidonic acid; furthermore, the profile of eicosanoid production is stimulus-dependent.