leukotriene
[ loo-kuh-trahy-een ]
/ ˌlu kəˈtraɪ in /
noun Biochemistry.
a lipid, C20H30O3, produced by white blood cells in an immune response to antigens, that contributes to allergic asthma and inflammatory reactions.
Words nearby leukotriene
leukothea,
leukotic,
leukotomy,
leukotoxin,
leukotrichia,
leukotriene,
leuprolide acetate,
leuricus,
leutze,
leuven,
lev
British Dictionary definitions for leukotriene
leukotriene
/ (ˌluːkəʊˈtraɪiːn) /
noun
one of a class of products of metabolic conversion of arachidonic acid; the active constituents of slow-reacting substance, responsible for bronchial constriction, contraction of smooth muscle, and inflammatory processes
Word Origin for leukotriene
C20: from
leukocyte, in which they were discovered +
triene from the conjugated triene unit that they contain
Medical definitions for leukotriene
leukotriene
[ lōō′kə-trī′ēn′ ]
n.
Any of a group of physiologically active substances that function both as mediators of inflammation and as participants in allergic responses.