Biologically active F- and E/D-type-prostane ring isomers (F2-IP and E2/D2-IP, respectively) are produced in situ by non-enzymatic peroxidation of arachidonic acid esterified to GroPCho (PtdCho-IP) and are universally distributed in tissue lipoproteins and cell membranes. Previous work has shown that platelet-activating factor acetylhydrolases (PAF-AH) are the main endogenous PLA2 involved in degradation of PtdCho-IP. The present study shows that the PtdCho-IP are also subject to hydrolysis by group IIA, V and X secretory PLA2, which also have a wide peripheral tissue distribution. For this demonstration, we compared the LC/MS profiles of PtdCho-IP of auto-oxidized plasma lipoproteins after incubation for 1-4 h (37 °C) in the absence or presence of recombinant human sPLA2 (1-2.5 µg/ml). In the absence of exogenously added sPLA2 the total PtdCho-IP level after 4 h incubation reached 15.9, 21.6 and 8.7 nmol/mg protein of LDL, HDL and HDL3, respectively. In the presence of group V or group X sPLA2 (2.5 µg/ml), the PtdCho-IP was completely hydrolyzed in 1 h, while in the presence of group IIA sPLA2 (2.5 µg/ml) the hydrolysis was less than 25% in 4 h, although it was complete after 8-24 h incubation. This report provides the first demonstration that PtdCho-IP are readily hydrolyzed by group IIA, V and X sPLA2. A co-location of sPLA2 and the substrates in various tissues has been recorded. Thus, the initiation of interaction and production of isoprostanes in situ are highly probable.