Eicosanoid

As eicosanoids ( from Greek είκοσι, similar ',' twenty '), scientifically eicosanoids in the IUPAC nomenclature Icosanoide, a group of hydrophobic hormone- like substances is called, which act as immune modulators and neurotransmitters and are involved in inflammatory processes in the body are.

They are all products of the metabolism of polyunsaturated fatty acids containing 20 carbon atoms ( gr εἴκοσι eikosi, twenty).

There are three series of eicosanoids ago:

The individual agents can be divided into four different groups of substances that act on all G- protein-coupled membrane receptors:

Since the first three substance groups all of the prostanoic, a naturally occurring non- acid, descended, they are also referred to as prostanoids.

Physiological function

Eicosanoids are intra-and extracellular signaling molecules that can be produced by each cell and are involved in processes such as blood clotting, fever, allergy, inflammation, pain.