title: Normalization of essential-fatty-acid-deficient keratinocytes requires palmitic acid.
abstract: Cultured adult human keratinocytes show accelerated growth rates in medium that is essential fatty acid deficient. The cells also show decreased amounts of the essential fatty acids 18:2, 20:3, and 20:4 and contain increased amounts of the monounsaturated fatty acids 16:1 and 18:1. These lower levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids were only partially restored by supplementing the medium with 18:2 and 20:4 fatty acid. The addition of the non-essential fatty acid 16:0 (5 microM), along with the essential fatty acids, resulted in the successful normalization of the major fatty acids in the deficient keratinocytes. Normalized cells showed a constant total fatty acid/mg of protein in the phospholipid fraction, as the total cell fatty acid content per cell increased with augmenting fatty acid supplementation. Supplementation of the medium with 16:0 and essential fatty acids decreased the growth and passage potential of the cells. Use of 18:1 in lieu of 18:2 fatty acid yielded essential-fatty-acid-deficient keratinocyte growth values. Likewise the least supplemented medium (5 microM 18:2 + 5 microM 16:0) also gave the accelerated cell growth rates. This study shows that manipulation of the essential fatty acid levels, if accompanied by 5 microM 16:0 in the growth medium, alters the growth properties of adult human primary keratinocytes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor 48109-0528.
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Marcelo
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Rhodes
authors.forename: W R
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Dunham
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D005228:Fatty Acids, Essential / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D015603:Keratinocytes / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000166:cytology; D019308:Palmitic Acid; D010169:Palmitic Acids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D005228:Fatty Acids, Essential; D010169:Palmitic Acids; D010743:Phospholipids; D019308:Palmitic Acid