Effects of saturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids on human tumor-cell proliferation.
1. Fatty acids of varying chain length and degree of unsaturation were found to inhibit the proliferation of T24/83, Hep2 and LLC-WRC256 tumor cell lines. 2. There was a strong correlation (r2= -0.956 to -0.995) between the degree of inhibition of proliferation and the degree of unsaturation of 18-carbon fatty acids for all the cell lines studied. No correlation existed in this respect for the 20-carbon fatty acids. 3. Tumor cells can differentiate between the degree of unsaturation of the 18-carbon fatty acids, and this ability is ultimately manifested in the rate of proliferation; however, the mechanisms remain to be identified.
Colquhoun
A
A
Departamento de Fisiologia e Biofisica, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil.
Curi
R
R
D000818:Animals; D002279:Carcinoma 256, Walker / Q000473:pathology; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects*; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D007822:Laryngeal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D051381:Rats; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology
D005227:Fatty Acids; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated