Products of eicosanoid metabolism (usually, arachidonic acid) with postulated physiologic activity such as mediators of inflammation and roles in allergic reactions; they differ from the related prostaglandins and thromboxanes by not having a central ring; so named because they were originally discovered in association with leukocytes and of three conjugated double bonds; letters A through F identify the first six metabolites isolated, with subscript numbers to indicate the number of double bonds ( e.g., leukotriene C4).
- peptidyl l. l. having one or more amino acid s present; e.g., LTC4 is an S-substituted glutathione, LTD4 is an S-substituted cysteinylglycine, LTE4 is an S-substituted cysteine, and LTF4 (also known as γ-glutamyl-LTE4) is an S-substituted γ-glutamylcysteine.
Medical dictionary. 2011.