title: Lack of an association between cellular phospholipid triene: tetraene ratio and proliferation of human skin fibroblasts in culture.
abstract: Two experiments were performed in an attempt to establish an association between cellular phospholipid triene:tetraene ratio and proliferation of human neonatal skin fibroblasts in culture. In Experiment 1, a low lipid culture medium was developed that caused an accumulation of (n-9) eicosatrienoic acid in the phospholipids of human fibroblasts. This culture medium, when supplemented with a mixture of mitogens, supported growth of human fibroblasts at a level equivalent to that found under conditions of maximal growth using serum supplementation (8% fetal bovine serum). The triene:tetraene ratio of fibroblast phospholipids under the two conditions was 1.88 vs. 0.03, suggesting that the growth of these cells was not adversely affected by a high (greater than 0.4) triene: tetraene ratio. In Experiment 2, cells were cultured in a low lipid, mitogen-supplemented medium with 16:1(n-7), 18:1(n-9), 18:2(n-6) or 20:4(n-6) added as the albumin complex. All the fatty acids permitted an equivalent maximal growth stimulation in the assay system, although having different effects on the phospholipid triene:tetraene ratio. The results suggest that there is a lack of an association between cellular phospholipid triene:tetraene ratio (range, 0.03 to 3.4) and proliferation of human fibroblasts in this culture system.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutritional Sciences, College of Biological Science, University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Karmiol
authors.forename: W J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Bettger
mesh_terms: D002455:Cell Division / Q000502:physiology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003470:Culture Media; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000032:analysis; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000737:chemistry*; D012044:Regression Analysis
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media; D005227:Fatty Acids; D010743:Phospholipids