Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Comparison of the metabolism of α-linolenic acid and its Δ6 desaturation product, stearidonic acid, in cultured NIH-3T3 cells

  • Article
  • Published:
Lipids

Abstract

The incorporation and metabolism of α-linolenic acid (18∶3n−3) and its Δ6 desaturase product, stearidonic acid (18∶4n−3), were compared by NIH-3T3 cells. In the presence of fetal calf serum, cells accumulated exogenously added 18∶3n−3 and 18∶4n−3 apparently at the expense of oleic acid (18∶1n−9). Both 18∶3n−3 and 18∶4n−3 were elongated and desaturated to eicosatetraenoic acid (20∶4n−3), eicosapentaenoic acid (20∶5n−3) and docosapentaenoic acid (22∶5n−3), but not to docosahexaenoic acid (22∶6n−3), and were incorporated into phospholipids and triacylglycerols. Over a 4−d period, the growth of NIH-3T3 cells was slightly stimulated in the presence of 18∶3n−3 (20 μg/mL) but was strongly inhibited in the presence of 18∶4n−3 at the same concentration. This inhibition may be caused by enhanced lipid peroxidation as a result of the high levels of 18∶4n−3 present.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

Chol:

cholesterol

DMEM:

Dulbecco's modified essential medium

HPLC:

high-performance liquid chromatography

PC:

phosphatidylcholine

PE:

phosphatidylethanolamine

PI+PS:

phosphatidylinositol and phosphatidylserine

PUFA:

polyunsaturated fatty acids

TG:

triacylglycerol

References

  1. Weiner, B.H., Ockone, I.S., Levine, P.H., Cuénod, H.F., Fisher, M., Johnson, B.F., Daoud, A.S., Jarmolych, J., Hosmer, D., Johnson, M.H., Natale, A., Vandreuil, C., and Hoogasian, J.J. (1986)N. Engl. J. Med. 315, 841–846.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Dyerberg, J., Bang, H.O., Stoffersen, E., Moncada, S., and Vane, J.R. (1978)Lancet ii, 117–119.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Sullivan, D.R., Sanders, D.A.B., Trayner, I.M., and Thompson, G.R. (1986)Atherosclerosis 61, 129–134.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Thiery, J., and Seidal, D. (1987)Atherosclerosis 63, 53–58.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Hunter, J.E. (1987)N. Engl. J. Med. 316, 626.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Simopoulos, A.P., and Salem, N., Jr. (1987)N. Engl. J. Med. 315, 833 (letter).

    Google Scholar 

  7. Horrobin, D.F., Manku, M.S., and Huang, Y.-S. (1984)Biomed. Biochim. Acta 43, S114–121.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Hörhammer, L., Wagner, N., and König, H. (1961)Arzneim.-Forsch. 14, 34–40.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Wagner, N., and König, H. (1963)Biochem. Z. 339, 212–218.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Traitler, H., Winter, H., Richli, U., and Ingenbleek, Y. (1984)Lipids 19, 923–928.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Ackman, R.G. (1982) inNutritional Evaluation Of Long-chain Fatty Acids in Fish Oil (Barlow, S.M. and Stansby, M.E., eds.) pp. 25–88, Academic Press, London.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Huang, Y.-S., Smith, R., Redden, P.R., Cantrill, R.C., and Horrobin, D.F. (1991)Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1082, 319–327.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Horrobin, D.F. (1990) inOmega-6 Essential Fatty Acids: Pathophysiology and Roles in Clinical Medicine (Horrobin, D.F., ed.), pp. 351–377, Wiley-Liss, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  14. Begin, M.E., Ells, G., Das, U.N., and Horrobin, D.F. (1986)J. Natl. Cancer Inst. 77, 1053–1062.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Chow, S.C., Sisfontes, L., Björkhem, I., and Jondal, M. (1989)Lipids 24, 700–704.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Cantrill, R.C., Huang, Y.-S., Ells, G., DeAntueno, R., and Horrobin, D.F. (1992)INFORM 3, 517–518.

    Google Scholar 

  17. Cornelius, A.S., Yerram, N.R., Kratz, D.A., and Spector, A.A. (1991)Cancer Res. 51, 6025–6030.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Begin, M.E., Ells, G., and Horrobin, D.F. (1988)J. Natl. Cancer Inst. 80, 188–194.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Freshney, R.I. (1983) inCulture of Animal Cells: A Manual of Basic Technique, pp. 207–209, Alan R. Liss Inc., New York.

    Google Scholar 

  20. Heithier, H., Ward, L.D., Cantrill, R.C., Klein, H., Im, M.-J., Pollack, G., Freeman, B., Schiltz, E., Peters, R., and Helmreich, E.J.M. (1988)Biochim. Biophys. Acta 971, 298–306.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Folch, J., Lees, M., and Sloane-Stanley, G.H. (1957)J. Biol. Chem. 226, 497–509.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Redden, P., and Huang, Y.-S. (1991)J. Chromatog. 567, 21–27.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Manku, M.S., Horrobin, D.F., Huang, Y.-S., and Morse, N. (1983)Lipids 18, 906–908.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Morrison, W.R., and Smith, L.M. (1964)J. Lipid Res. 5, 600–608.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Huang, Y.-S., Redden, P.R., DeAntueno, R.J., Cantrill, R.C., and Horrobin, D.F. (1992)Third Intl. Conf. on Essential Fatty Acids and Prostaglandins, abstract 106.

  26. Spector, A.A., Mathur, S.N., Kaduce, T.L., and Hyman, B.T. (1981)Prog. Lipid Res. 19, 155–186.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Das, U.N., Begin, M.E., Ells, G., Huang, Y.-S., and Horrobin, D.F. (1987)Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 145, 15–24.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Botha, J.H., Robinson, K.M., and Leary, W.P. (1985)Prostaglandins Leukotr. Med. 19, 63–67.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. EFAMOL Research Institute, P.O. Box 818, B4N 4H8, Kentville, Nova Scotia, Canada

    Richard C. Cantrill, Yung-Sheng Huang, Gregory W. Ells & David F. Horrobin

Authors
  1. Richard C. Cantrill
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Yung-Sheng Huang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Gregory W. Ells
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. David F. Horrobin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

About this article

Cite this article

Cantrill, R.C., Huang, YS., Ells, G.W. et al. Comparison of the metabolism of α-linolenic acid and its Δ6 desaturation product, stearidonic acid, in cultured NIH-3T3 cells. Lipids 28, 163–166 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02536634

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02536634

Keywords

Search

Navigation