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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2010 Nov 1.
Published in final edited form as: Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids. 2009 Oct 22;81(5-6):357–366. doi: 10.1016/j.plefa.2009.09.004

Figure 1. Biosynthetic pathways for lipoxin A4 and 15-epi-LXA4/ATL.

Figure 1

LX and ATL are both biosynthesized from arachidonic acid. Human 15-LOX type I produces mainly 15S-HpETE that is enzymatically reduced to 15S-HETE. When treated with aspirin, endothelial or epithelial cells expressing COX-2 insert molecular oxygen predominantly in the R configuration at carbon 15 in arachidonic acid. These hydroxy products are then converted by 5-LOX from PMNs, which are rapidly transformed into epoxide intermediates. Opening of the epoxide-containing intermediates follows enzymatically to form the tri-hydroxy tetraene-containing mediators [see ref. 11 for further details].