Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes, Lipoxins, and PAF: Mechanism of Action, Molecular Biology, and Clinical Applications

The field of eicosanoid metabolism and function continues to grow. Synthesis of the prostaglandins from essential fatty acids was first described by Bergstrom and Sarnuelsson in 1964. The thromboxanes were discovered in 1975, the prostacyclins, by Moncada and Vane, in 1976, and the leukotrienes by Samuelsson in 1979. A new class of biologically active arachidonic acid metabolites named lipoxins was announced by Bengt Samuelsson in May 1984. Since that time major advances have been made in t...