Biological properties of dihydro‐leukotriene B4, an alternative leukotriene B4 metabolite

Abstract
Dihydro‐leukotriene B4 (a 5,12‐dihydroxy‐eicosatrienoic acid) has been shown to be the primary metabolite of leukotriene B4, (LTB4) in a variety of cells other than human polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNLs). In this report we show that dihydro‐LTB4 is significantly less active than LTB4 in different biological assay systems, i.e. leukocyte chemotaxis, chemokinesis, aggregation, adhesion to endothelium and superoxide anion production. This suggests that primary reduction constitutes a second so far unknown deactivation pathway for LTB4.