title: The effect of gamma-linolenic acid and zinc supplementation on the growth of normal and tumour cells in vitro.
abstract: The effects of zinc, gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) and zinc combined and GLA supplementations on the growth of a benign monkey kidney, cell line (LLCMK) and a malignant tumour murine melanoma, cell line (BL-6) cells in vitro were studied. Cell growth was indicated by both cell counts and 3H-thymidine incorporation into DNA. The addition of zinc to the cells resulted in a general trend of overall reduction in the growth of tumour cells but not in the normal cells. The addition of GLA at high concentrations resulted in a general decrease in cell growth of both the benign and malignant tumour cells while the addition of lower concentrations of GLA had less effect. The combined effect of supplementary zinc and GLA resulted in an inhibitory effect on the growth of the malignant cells while a less and variable effect on the non-malignant cells was found. Some interaction between zinc and GLA in reducing tumour cell growth is suggested by the results.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa.
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Perkins
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Duncan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D002460:Cell Line; D003864:Depression, Chemical; D004357:Drug Synergism; D004847:Epithelial Cells; D004848:Epithelium / Q000187:drug effects*; D007668:Kidney; D019787:Linoleic Acid; D008041:Linoleic Acids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008253:Macaca mulatta; D008546:Melanoma, Experimental / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D015032:Zinc / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D008041:Linoleic Acids; D019787:Linoleic Acid; D015032:Zinc