The fatty acid composition of rat polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) was modified by diets supplemented with a high linoleate (LA) safflower oil (76% LA), mixtures of eicosapentaenoate (EPA) and safflower oil (EPA(20) containing 20% EPA and 61% LA, EPA(40) containing 40% EPA and 46% LA), mixtures of docosahexaenoate (DHA) and safflower oil (DHA(20) containing 20% DHA and 61% LA, DHA(40) containing 40% DHA and 46% LA) or a high alpha-linolenate (alpha-LNA) perilla oil (57% alpha-LNA and 13% LA), and then lipid mediator production in casein-induced peritoneal PMN were compared. EPA and DHA were relatively ineffective in reducing platelet-activating factor (PAF) production; a statistically significant reduction was observed only in the DHA(40) group. In contrast, perilla oil reduced PAF production by 50% as compared with safflower oil. Arachidonate (AA) in the PAF precursor, 1-alkyl-2-acyl-glycerophosphocholine, was roughly correlated with PAF production, but EPA and DHA in the precursor lipid were relatively unrelated. On the other hand, both PGE2 and LTB4 production correlated positively with AA and negatively with EPA and DHA in PMN phospholipids; EPA tended to be somewhat more effective than DHA in reducing PGE2 and LTB4 formation; the activity of perilla oil was no less than EPA(20). Thus, replacing safflower oil with perilla oil was no less effective than supplementing safflower oil with EPA or DHA (at 40% of total fatty acids) in reducing lipid mediator production in rat PMN.