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Abstract
The present study demonstrates that human anterior uvea synthesizes a 5-lipoxygenase product termed slow-reacting substance (SRS) (a mixture of leukotrienes, C4, D4 and E4) from arachidonic acid (AA). Characterization of SRS was done using the guinea pig ileum (GI) as bioassay tissue. SRS contracted GI and this contraction was antagonized by FPL55712, a leukotriene antagonist. The synthesis of SRS was enzymatic in nature since boiled or BW 755-treated tissues did not synthesize SRS-like activity from AA. Further confirmation that the substance was SRS-like came from the measurement of LTC4-like immunoreactivity.