1. The role of leukotriene B4 (LTB4) and LTC4 as mediators of gastric mucosal damage following ethanol challenge in vivo has been investigated using two selective 5-lipoxygenase inhibitors, BW A4C and BW A137C. 2. Oral administration of ethanol to rats in vivo, induced macroscopic damage to the gastric mucosa and markedly increased the formation of the 5-lipoxygenase products, LTB4 and LTC4, from the mucosa ex vivo. 3. Pretreatment with the acetohydroxamic acids BW A4C and BW A137C (5-50 mg kg-1 p.o.) dose-dependently reduced ethanol-stimulated LTB4 and LTC4 formation by the gastric mucosa, with an ID50 of approximately 5 mg kg-1 p.o. 4. A single oral dose of BW A4C (20 mg kg-1) induced near-maximal inhibition of mucosal LTB4 formation within 30 min, which was well maintained for 5 h, whereas BW A137C (20 mg kg-1 p.o.) induced maximal inhibition between 30 and 60 min after administration, which then diminished over the subsequent 5 h. 5. The mucosal formation of the cyclo-oxygenase product, 6-keto-prostaglandin F1 alpha, which was unaltered following ethanol challenge, was not inhibited by the acetohydroxamic acids. Likewise, the small increase in mucosal thromboxane B2 formation following challenge was not inhibited by BW A4C. 6. Neither BW A4C nor BW A137C, at doses that almost completely inhibited the mucosal synthesis of LTB4 or LTC4, reduced the macroscopic gastric mucosal damage induced by ethanol. 7. Pretreatment with the lipoxygenase inhibitor BW 755C (5-50 mg kg-1 p.o.) did reduce mucosal damage, but there was a dissociation between the degree of protection and the inhibition of leukotriene biosynthesis. 8. Oral administration of high doses of either BW A4C or BW A137C (300mgkg-1) did not induce macroscopic gastric damage over a 3 h period. 9. These findings suggest that the leukotrienes, LTB4 and LTC4 are not the primary mediators of ethanol-induced acute mucosal damage, but do not exclude their role in more chronic gastric damage and inflammation.