(±) 17 (18) -DiHETE

Eicosapentaenoic acid is an ?-3 fatty acid abundantly available in marine organisms. (±) 17 (18) -DiHETE is one of the major metabolites produced when eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) is incubated with various rat tissue homogenates or cynomolgus monkey seminal vesicles. The route of production of (±) 17 (18) -DiHETE likely proceeds through cytochrome P450-catalyzed epoxidation at the ?-3 double bond followed by conversion to the vicinal diols by epoxide hydrolase. EPA is also metabolized preferentially by Gaeumannomyces graminis to (±) 17 (18) -DiHETE.