Eicosanoids are rapidly metabolized to inactive products and therefore are short-lived. Accordingly, the eicosanoid-receptor interaction is typically limited to a local interaction: cells, upon stimulation, metabolize arachidonic acid to an eicosanoid which then binds cognate receptors on either its parent cell (acting as an Autocrine signalling molecule) or on nearby cells (acting as a Paracrine signalling molecule) to trigger functional responses within a restricted tissue area, e.g. an inflammatory response to an invading pathogen.
Eicosanoids are rapidly metabolized into inactive products and have a short lifespan. As a result, the eicosanoid-receptor interaction is typically limited to local interactions: cells, upon stimulation, convert arachidonic acid into an eicosanoid that then binds to cognate receptors on either its parent cell (acting as an Autocrine signaling molecule) or nearby cells (acting as a Paracrine signaling molecule), triggering functional responses within a specific tissue area, such as in response to an invading pathogen.