M1 and M2 activated macrophages (Mfs) have different roles in inflammation. Because pathogens may first encounter resting cells, we investigated lipid mediator profiles prior to full activation. Human monocytes were differentiated with granulocyte Mf colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) or Mf colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF), which are known to prime toward M1 or M2 phenotypes, respectively. Lipid mediators released during resting conditions and produced in response to bacterial stimuli (LPS/N-formylmethionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine or peptidoglycan) were quantified by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. In resting conditions, both Mf phenotypes released primarily proresolving lipid mediators (prostaglandin E 2 metabolite, lipoxin A 4 , and 18-hydroxyeicosapentaenoic acid). A striking shift toward proinflammatory eicosanoids was observed when the same cells were exposed (30 min) to bacterial stimuli: M-CSF Mfs produced considerably more 5-lipoxygenase products, particularly leukotriene C 4 , potentially linked to M2 functions in asthma. Prostaglandins were formed by both Mf types. In the M-CSF cells, there was also an enhanced release of arachidonic acid and activation of cytosolic phospholipase A 2 . However, GM-CSF cells expressed higher levels of 5-lipoxygenase and 5-lipoxygenase-activating protein, and in ionophore incubations these cells also produced the highest levels of 5-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid. In summary, GM-CSF and M-CSF Mfs displayed similar proresolving lipid mediator formation in resting conditions but shifted toward different proinflammatory eicosanoids upon bacterial stimuli. This demonstrates that preference for specific eicosanoid pathways is primed by CSFs before full M1/M2 activation.-Lukic, A., Larssen, P., Fauland, A., Samuelsson, B., Wheelock, C. E., Gabrielsson, S., Radmark, O. GM-CSF-and M-CSF-primed macrophages present similar resolving but distinct inflammatory lipid mediator signatures. FASEB J. 31, 4370-4381 (2017). www.fasebj.orgMacrophages (Mfs) orchestrate the inflammatory process from early onset to the resolution phase (1, 2). A major issue in Mf biology is to characterize functional phenotypes, currently described as a heterogeneous spectrum of activated states, from M1 to M2 (3, 4). Stimulating factors, such as cytokines and pathogens, can induce specific phenotypes: originally IFN-g + LPS activation resulted in a proinflammatory M1 state, whereas IL-4 activation induced the alternatively activated M2 state. Polarized cells express distinct markers, such as transcription factors, cytokines, and surface markers; these are the main tools to define Mf phenotypes. A number of transcripts have been reported to differ between M1 and M2 Mfs, including mRNAs for enzymes involved in eicosanoid metabolism (5).Eicosanoids originate from arachidonic acid (AA), released from membrane phospholipids by phospholipases, typically cytosolic phospholipase A 2 (cPLA 2 ) (6). Free AA is further metabolized via 3 enzymatic pathways: lipoxygenase (LO), cyclooxygenase (COX), and cyto...