title: Eosinophils and cysteinyl leukotrienes.
abstract: Eosinophils are the main source of the cysteinyl leukotrienes, LTC(4)/D(4)/E(4), which are lipid mediators that play major roles in the pathogenesis of asthma and other forms of allergic inflammation. Here, we review the mechanisms governing eosinophil LTC(4) synthesis, focusing on the distinct intracellular domains that regulate eicosanoid formation and function within eosinophils. Cysteinyl leukotrienes exert their actions by engaging specific receptors. As recently shown, eosinophils express CysLT1 and CysLT2, the only cloned receptors for cysteinyl leukotrienes. Therefore, here we also present some of the new findings regarding the paracrine/autocrine activation of these CysLT receptors on eosinophils, and discuss some data on novel intracrine effects of LTC(4) triggered by a putative third CysLT receptor expressed intracellularly within eosinophils.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Charles A Dana Research Institute, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA. cbmelo@gene.dbbm.fiocruz.br
authors.forename: Christianne
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bandeira-Melo
authors.forename: Peter F
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Weller
mesh_terms: D001249:Asthma / Q000378:metabolism; D019898:Autocrine Communication; D003545:Cysteine / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism*; D004804:Eosinophils / Q000378:metabolism*; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006801:Humans; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000378:metabolism; D020024:Leukotriene Antagonists; D017997:Leukotriene C4 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism; D015289:Leukotrienes / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism*; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D019899:Paracrine Communication; D018077:Receptors, Leukotriene / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D020024:Leukotriene Antagonists; D015289:Leukotrienes; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D018077:Receptors, Leukotriene; C112381:cysteinyl-leukotriene; D017997:Leukotriene C4; D003545:Cysteine; C083169:leukotriene D4 receptor