Arachidonic Acid

Arachidonic Acid (CAS 506-32-1) is an unsaturated essential fatty acid. It is present in animal and human fats as well as in liver, brain, and glandular organs, and is a component of animal phospholipids. It is synthesized from dietary linoleic acid and is a precursor for the biosynthesis of prostaglandins, thromboxanes, and leukotrienes[PubChem].

Arachidonic acid is commonly used to establish arachidonic acid-induced paw edema (inflammation) models, cerebral thrombosis models, and mouse pulmonary thrombosis/embolism models, for evaluating anti-inflammatory and anti-thrombotic drugs.

Arachidonic acid is an omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid that serves as a key structural component of membrane phospholipids and a central bioactive lipid in cell signaling. It exists mainly in esterified form in biological membranes, and upon release by phospholipase regulation becomes free arachidonic acid, serving as a key substrate for cyclooxygenase (COX), lipoxygenase (LOX), and cytochrome P450 pathways to generate eicosanoid mediators such as prostaglandins, thromboxanes, and leukotrienes, regulating inflammatory responses, vascular tone, and immune signals. Through receptor-stimulated lipid signaling cascades and second-messenger generation, arachidonic acid participates in regulating cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. In biomedical research, it is used in cell models to study inflammation, oxidative stress, and lipid metabolism, and to screen inhibitors targeting eicosanoid biosynthetic enzymes.