title: Role of fatty acids of (n-3) and (n-6) series on alpha-linolenic acid desaturation and chain elongation in HTC cells.
abstract: The desaturation and chain elongation of [1-14C] alpha-linolenic acid were studied in HTC cells preincubated for 24 h in the presence of different unlabeled fatty acids of (n-3) and (n-6) series. After 24 h in the presence of [1-14C] alpha-18:3, cells transformed this acid into labeled 20:5 and 22:5(n-3) through the desaturation-elongation pathway and into 20:3 and 22:3(n-3) by the elongation reactions. The preincubation of HTC cells with (n-3) fatty acids (alpha-18:3, 20:5 and 22:6) produced an increase in the amount of [1-14C] alpha-18:3 that remained in the cells without being metabolized and consequently, a decrease in the last product formed, the 22:5(n-3) was observed. Simultaneously, the desaturation-elongation products decreased significantly and those of the elongation pathway were not modified, except when the cells were pre-incubated with the last fatty acid of this family (22:6) which increased this metabolic route. Fatty acids of (n-6) series (gamma-18:3, 20:3, 20:4 and 22:4) decreased the desaturation-elongation pathway and increased the elongation route from [1-14C] alpha-18:3. From these results, it can be concluded that fatty acids of (n-3) family and intermediates of (n-6) series would impair the [1-14C] alpha-18:3 metabolism at the delta 6 desaturation step. The fatty acid composition of the cells was also modified by the preincubation with (n-3) and (n-6) acids showing a decrease on delta 9 desaturation activity.
authors.affiliation: Istituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de La Plata (INIBIOLP), CONICET-UNLP Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Argentina.
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: de Alaniz
authors.forename: I N
authors.initials: IN
authors.lastname: de Gómez Dumm
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008041:Linoleic Acids / Q000378:metabolism*; D008042:Linolenic Acids / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D005227:Fatty Acids; D008041:Linoleic Acids; D008042:Linolenic Acids