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LEUKOTRIENES, THROMBOXANE AND PROSTACYCLIN
Like prostaglandins, leukotrienes have an almost incredible variety of effects, some highly desirable and some harmful. Each cell produces a specific pattern of prostaglandins and leukotrienes. There are over 50 types of prostaglandins and leukotrienes and related molecules, and there are new ones being discovered each year.
Leukotrienes are not part of the picture of the conversion of evening primrose oil to its metabolites because dihomo-gammalinolenic acid (step 3 in the conversion process) cannot give rise to leukotrienes. However, evening primrose oil does have a role to play against the harmful leukotrienes.
Arachidonic acid gives rise to leukotrienes which are very inflammatory. In fact, whenever any kind of inflammation is happening in the body, the products of arachidonic acid are found in abundance. These other products are thromboxane A2 and 2 series prostaglandins such as PG F2alpha. These have undesirable effects such as promotion of vasospasm, thrombosis and inflammation.
However, some of the prostaglandins which arachidonic acid leads to, such as prostacyclin (PG12), do have desirable effects such as the inhibition of platelet aggregation and dilation of blood vessels.
Evening primrose oil works as an anti-inflammatory agent because PGEl works in a similar way to steroid drugs, by blocking the mobilization of arachidonic acid. Recently, American scientists have also found that it blocks the formation of certain harmful leukotrienes from arachidonic acid. Fish oils, eicosapentaenoic acid and its derivatives, seem to compete with arachidonic acid and so prevent the conversion of arachidonic acid to inflammatory metabolites.
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GENERAL HEALTH
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