Arachidonic acid is rapidly metabolized by several distinct enzymes including the 5-lipoxygenase generating leukotrienes and 5-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (5-HETE). These well studied metabolites cause a variety of physiological and pathophysiological effects in different tissues. Recently, oxidation of 5-HETE to 5-oxo-eicosatetraenoic acid (5-oxo-ETE) by an NADP+-dependent dehydrogenase has been demonstrated. Calcium ionophors and protein kinase C activators stimulate the synthesis of 5-oxo-ETE in neutrophils, eosinophils and monocytes. This novel arachidonic acid metabolite has a potent chemotactic activity for neutrophils and eosinophils. It stimulates adhesion of neutrophils and induces reactive oxygen metabolites in eosinophils. There is evidence that 5-oxo-ETE and 5-HETE interact with a specific G-protein coupled receptor. Since in contrast to 5-oxo-ETE much higher concentrations of 5-HETE are needed to provoke cell responses, 5-oxo-ETE might be the physiological relevant ligand for this putative receptor. Further downstream signalling pathways of this ligand include calcium transients, actin polymerization, activation of phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase and MAP-kinase. 5-oxo-ETE has been extracted from scales of psoriatic patients and injection of 5-oxo-ETE into rabbit subcutis causes a severe edema with an inflammatory cell infiltrate resembling an urticarial lesion. These findings indicate, that 5-oxo-ETE might play a role in different cutaneous inflammatory diseases.