Arachidonate metabolism

Eicosanoids, oxygenated, 20-carbon fatty acids, are autocrine and paracrine signaling molecules that modulate physiological processes including pain, fever, inflammation, blood clot formation, smooth muscle contraction and relaxation, and the release of gastric acid. Eicosanoids are synthesized in humans primarily from arachidonate (all-cis 5,8,11,14-eicosatetraenoate) that is released from membrane phospholipids. Once released, arachidonate is acted on by prostaglandin G/H synthases (PTGS, also known as cyclooxygenases (COX)) to form prostaglandins and thromboxanes, by arachidonate lipoxygenases (ALOX) to form leukotrienes, epoxygenases (cytochrome P450s and epoxide hydrolase) to form epoxides such as 15-eicosatetraenoic acids, and omega-hydrolases (cytochrome P450s) to form hydroxyeicosatetraenoates.

Summary from Reactome (R-HSA-2142753), read 2026-09-23.