Responses of human skin to intradermal injection of leukotrienes C4, D4 and B4

Abstract

1 The ability of intradermally injected leukotrienes C₄ (LTC₄), LTD₄ and LTB₄ to produce inflammatory changes in human skin alone and in combination with prostaglandin E₂ (PGE₂) has been investigated. 2 LTC₄ and D₄ (0.012–0.38 nmol) caused dose-related erythema and wealing. No evidence of synergism between PGE₂ and LTC₄ or LTD₄ was detected, although only single dose combinations were studied. 3 LTB₄ (0.15–1.5 nmol) caused areas of induration which persisted for more than 4 h and which showed perivascular neutrophil infiltrates on histological examination. Only slight synergism between PGE₂ and LTB₄ was found. 4 It was concluded that these pro-inflammatory properties of LTC₄, LTD₄ and LTB₄ are consistent with their proposed roles as mediators of inflammation in the skin and other tissues.