title: Fatty acyl delta 6 desaturation activity of cultured human endothelial cells. Modulation by fetal bovine serum.
abstract: Human endothelial cells from umbilical vein actively desaturate [14C]linoleate and synthesize icosatrienoate, arachidonate and docosatetraenoate. Desaturation and chain elongation of 9,12,15-[14 C]linolenate (n - 3) by these cells is more extensive than that of [14 C]linoleate. Both confluent primary monolayers and subconfluent subcultures exhibit greater fatty acyl CoA delta 6-desaturase activity when growth and incubation media contain 2.5% fetal bovine serum instead of 10%. Prior growth with 20% serum diminishes the extent of subsequent linoleate desaturation. Use of medium supplemented with 20-100 microM oleate results in up to 67% inhibition of [14 C]arachidonate synthesis. These results indicate that, despite previously published reports to the contrary, human vascular endothelial cells are similar to other normal mammalian cells in having fatty acyl delta 6-desaturase activity. Suppression of endogenous arachidonate synthesis by elevated levels of serum lipids may impair endothelial cell function.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001095:Arachidonic Acids / Q000096:biosynthesis; D001769:Blood / Q000378:metabolism; D001808:Blood Vessels / Q000201:enzymology*; D002417:Cattle; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004727:Endothelium / Q000201:enzymology; D044943:Fatty Acid Desaturases / Q000378:metabolism*; D005333:Fetus; D006801:Humans; D019787:Linoleic Acid; D008041:Linoleic Acids / Q000378:metabolism; D008042:Linolenic Acids / Q000378:metabolism; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D014471:Umbilical Veins / Q000201:enzymology; D017962:alpha-Linolenic Acid
chemical_list: D001095:Arachidonic Acids; D008041:Linoleic Acids; D008042:Linolenic Acids; D008055:Lipids; D017962:alpha-Linolenic Acid; D019787:Linoleic Acid; D044943:Fatty Acid Desaturases