Figure 3. Arachidonic acid metabolites that may contribute to control of cerebral blood flow.
Arachidonic acid is formed from membrane phospholipids by Ca2+-dependent and Ca2+-independent lipases. Metabolites shown in green are vasodilators, red metabolites are vasoconstrictors, and blue denotes the location of some of the relevant enzymes. COX, cyclooxygenase; CYP, cytochrome P450 superfamily of enzymes; EET, epoxyeicosatrienoic acid; 20-HETE, 20-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid; HPETE, hydroperoxy-eicosatetraenoic acid.