fatty acids, those derived from the 22-carbon polyunsaturated fatty acid, docosahexaenoic acid, and the 18-carbon fatty acid, linoleic acid, are distinguished from the aforementioned hepoxilins by their carbon chain length; they are termed hepoxilin-like rather than hepoxilins. A hepoxilin-like derivative of linoleic acid is formed on linoleic acid that is esterified to a sphingosine in a complex lipid termed esterified omega-hydroxylacyl-sphingosin (EOS). Note on nomenclature ambiguities The full structural identities of the hepoxilins and hepoxilin-like compounds in most studies are unclear in two important respects. First, the R versus S chirality of their hydroxy residue in the initial and most studies thereafter is undefined and therefore given with, for example, HxB3 as 10R/S-hydroxy or just 10-hydroxy. Second, the R,S versus S,R chirality of the epoxide residue in these earlier studies likewise goes undefined and given with, for example, HxB3 as 11,12-epoxide. While some later studies have defined the chirality of these residues for the products they isolated, it is often not clear that the earlier studies dealt with products that had exactly the same or a different chirality at these residues. Biochemistry Production Human HxA3 and HxB3 are formed in a two-step reaction. First, molecular oxygen (O2) is added to carbon 12 of arachidonic acid (i.e. 5Z,8Z,11Z,14Z-eicosatetraenoic acid) and concurrently the 8Z double bond in this arachidonate moves to the 9E position to form the intermediate product, 12S-hydroperoxy-5Z,8Z,10E,14Z-eicosatetraenoic acid (i.e. 12S-hydroperoxyeicosatetraenoic acid or 12S-HpETE). Second, 12S-HpETE is converted to the hepoxilin products, HxA3 (i.e. 8R/S-hydroxy-11,12-oxido-5Z,9E,14Z-eicosatrienoic acid) and HxB3 (i.e. 10R/S-hydroxy-11,12-oxido-5Z,8Z,14Z-eicosatrienoic acid). This two-step metabolic reaction is illustrated below: The second step in this reaction, the conversion of 12(S)-HpETE to HxA3 and HxB3, may be catalyzed by ALOX12 as an intrinsic property of the enzyme. Based on gene knockout studies, however, the epidermal lipoxygenase, ALOXE3, or more correctly, its mouse ortholog Aloxe3, appears responsible for converting 12(S)-HpETE to HxB3 in mouse skin and spinal tissue. It is suggested that ALOXE3 contributes in part or whole to the production of HxB3 and perhaps other hepoxilins by tissues where it is expressed such as the skin. Furthermore, hydroperoxide-containing unsaturated fatty acids can rearrange non-enzymatically to form a variety of epoxyalcohol isomers. The 12(S)-HpETE formed in tissues, it is suggested, may similar rearrange non-enzymatically to form HxA3 and HXB3. Unlike the products made by ALOX12 and ALOXE3, which are stereospecific in forming only HxA3 and HxB3, however, this non-enzymatic production of hepoxilins may form