Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “FATTY ACIDS”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 973 records · Page 54Linked to original sources

A system for manipulating the membrane Fatty Acid composition of soybean cell cultures by adding tween-Fatty Acid esters to their growth medium : basic parameters and effects on cell growth.

The development of a system for modifying the membrane fatty acid composition of cultured soybean cells (Glycine max [L.] Merr.) is described. Tween-fatty acid esters carrying specific fatty acids were synthesized and added to the medium of suspension cultures. Cells transferred large quantities of exogenous fatty acids from Tweens to all acylated membrane lipids; up to 50% of membrane fatty acids were exogenously derived. C15 to C20 saturated fatty acids and C16, C18, and C20 unsaturated fatty acids with either cis or trans double bonds were incorporated into lipids. Cells elongated saturated fatty acids of C16 or less, and unsaturated fatty acids with cis double bonds were further desaturated. No other types of modifications were observed. Growth ceased in cells treated with excessive concentrations of Tween-fatty acid esters, but frequently not for several days. Cessation of cell growth was correlated with changes in membrane fatty acid composition resulting from incorporation of large amounts of exogenous fatty acids into membrane lipids, although cells tolerated large variations in fatty acid composition. Maximum tolerable Tween concentrations varied widely according to the fatty acid supplied. Potential uses of this system and implications of the observed modifications on the pathway of incorporation are discussed.

Journal Article↗

Reciprocal changes in gluconeogenesis and ureagenesis induced by fatty acid oxidation.

Fatty acids produced a stimulation of gluconeogenesis and either inhibition or no effect on ureagenesis in livers perfused with gluconeogenic substrates and having NH4Cl plus ornithine as the nitrogen source. This finding indicates that stimulation of flux through pyruvate carboxylase is not sufficient to enhance urea production from ammonia. The metabolic action of fatty acids showed the following characteristics: (1) it was concentration-dependent, showing saturation-type kinetics similar to those described for fatty acid oxidation; (2) the stimulatory action on gluconeogenesis was constant and independent of NH4Cl concentration, whereas the inhibition of ureagenesis was variable and dependent on NH4Cl concentration and the degree of reduction of the gluconeogenic substrate; and (3) fatty acids produced apparent reciprocal changes in the state of reduction of the cytosolic and mitochondrial NAD systems. Fatty acid oxidation exerted its effect mainly, if not exclusively, by preventing the gluconeogenic substrate-induced stimulation of ureagenesis. Fatty acids also inhibited ureagenesis without stimulating gluconeogenesis (lactate < 1 mmol/L), ruling out a limiting energy availability as the cause of the inhibition. One or both of the following two mechanisms seem to account for the fatty acid-induced inhibition of ureagenesis from NH4Cl. First, a decreased uptake of ornithine, and second, decreased flux through pyruvate dehydrogenase and probably other NAD(P)-linked mitochondrial dehydrogenases. The correlation found between the ability of fatty acids to inhibit ureagenesis and the state of activation of pyruvate dehydrogenase supports the latter point.

Ammonium Chloride↗

Fatty acid synthetase from Brevibacterium ammoniagenes: formation of monounsaturated fatty acids by a multienzyme complex.

A multienzyme fatty acid synthetase complex isolated from Brevibacterium ammoniagenes has been purified to a specific activity of 1440 nmol of malonyl-CoA incorporated per min/mg. The enzyme is homogeneous, as judged by gel electrophoresis on agarose gels, and has a molecular weight of 1.2 X 10(6). Both NADPH and NADH are required for activity. In contrast to other fatty acid synthetase complexes, the enzyme catalyzes the synthesis of both long-chain saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids from malonyl-CoA and acetyl-CoA. The formation of unsaturated fatty acids is oxygen-independent and sharply reduced by 3-decynoyl-N-acetylcysteamine, a known inhibitor of Escherchia coli beta-hydroxydecanoyl thioester dehydrase (EC 4.2.1.60).

Aerobiosis↗

Effect of branched-chain fatty acid on lipid dynamics in mice lacking liver fatty acid binding protein gene.

Although a role for liver fatty acid protein (L-FABP) in the metabolism of branched-chain fatty acids has been suggested based on data obtained with cultured cells, the physiological significance of this observation remains to be demonstrated. To address this issue, the lipid phenotype and metabolism of phytanic acid, a branched-chain fatty acid, were determined in L-FABP gene-ablated mice fed a diet with and without 1% phytol (a metabolic precursor to phytanic acid). In response to dietary phytol, L-FABP gene ablation exhibited a gender-dependent lipid phenotype. Livers of phytol-fed female L-FABP-/- mice had significantly more fatty lipid droplets than male L-FABP-/- mice, whereas in phytol-fed wild-type L-FABP+/+ mice differences between males and females were not significant. Thus L-FABP gene ablation exacerbated the accumulation of lipid droplets in phytol-fed female, but not male, mice. These results were reflected in the lipid profile, where hepatic levels of triacylglycerides in phytol-fed female L-FABP-/- mice were significantly higher than in male L-FABP-/- mice. Furthermore, livers of phytol-fed female L-FABP-/- mice exhibited more necrosis than their male counterparts, consistent with the accumulation of higher levels of phytol metabolites (phytanic acid, pristanic acid) in liver and serum, in addition to increased hepatic levels of sterol carrier protein (SCP)-x, the only known peroxisomal enzyme specifically required for branched-chain fatty acid oxidation. In summary, L-FABP gene ablation exerted a significant role, especially in female mice, in branched-chain fatty acid metabolism. These effects were only partially compensated by concomitant upregulation of SCP-x in response to L-FABP gene ablation and dietary phytol.

Animals↗

Product diversity and regulation of type II fatty acid synthases.

Fatty acid biosynthesis is catalyzed in most bacteria by a group of highly conserved proteins known as the type II fatty acid synthase (FAS II) system. FAS II has been extensively studied in the Escherichia coli model system, and the recent explosion of bioinformatic information has accelerated the investigation of the pathway in other organisms, mostly important human pathogens. All FAS II systems possess a basic set of enzymes for the initiation and elongation of acyl chains. This review focuses on the variations on this basic theme that give rise to the diversity of products produced by the pathway. These include multiple mechanisms to generate unsaturated fatty acids and the accessory components required for branched-chain fatty acid synthesis in Gram-positive bacteria. Most of the known mechanisms that regulate product distribution of the pathway arise from the fundamental biochemical properties of the expressed enzymes. However, newly identified transcriptional factors in bacterial fatty acid biosynthetic pathways are a fertile field for new investigation into the genetic control of the FAS II system. Much more work is needed to define the role of these factors and the mechanisms that regulate their DNA binding capability, but there appear to be fundamental differences in how the expression of the pathway genes is controlled in Gram-negative and in Gram-positive bacteria.

Acetyltransferases↗

Increased FAT (fatty acid translocase)/CD36-mediated long-chain fatty acid uptake in cardiac myocytes from obese Zucker rats.

Disturbed cardiac lipid homoeostasis in obesity is regarded as a key player in the development of cardiovascular diseases. In this study, we show that FAT (fatty acid translocase)/CD36-mediated LCFA (long-chain fatty acid) uptake in cardiac myocytes from young adult obese Zucker rats is markedly increased, but insensitive to insulin. Basal and insulin-induced glucose uptake rates in these myocytes are not changed, suggesting that during the development from obesity to hyperglycaemic Type II diabetes, alterations in cardiac LCFA uptake precede alterations in cardiac glucose uptake.

Animals↗

Prediction of coronary artery lesions in unstable angina by iodine 123 beta-methyl iodophenyl pentadecanoic acid (BMIPP), a fatty acid analogue, single photon emission computed tomography at rest.

Iodine 123 beta-methyl iodophenyl pentadecanoic acid (123I-BMIPP), a beta-methyl-branched fatty acid analogue, has been proven by experimental studies to reveal abnormalities in fatty-acid-related metabolism. This study was undertaken to validate the accuracy and limitations of 123I-BMIPP imaging at rest in detecting myocardial metabolic abnormalities and predicting coronary lesions in unstable angina (UA). One hundred UA patients without prior myocardial infarction were studied. 123I-BMIPP and thallium 201 chloride (201TlCl) imaging with single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and coronary and left ventricular cineangiography (LVC) were performed 1 week after the last episode of angina. There was reduced uptake of 123I-BMIPP imaging in 70 patients, reduced uptake of 201TlCl in 41, and abnormal LVC contraction in 49 patients. There were significant increases in severity scores of 123I-BMIPP imaging along with increases in the number of stenosed coronary arteries and the severity of stenosis in individual coronary arteries. There was a significant reduction in 123I-BMIPP severity scores 1 month after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (p < 0.01) and a significant correlation between the severity scores of 123I-BMIPP and LVC (r=0. 579, p<0.001). Overall rates of sensitivity and specificity in detecting significant coronary stenosis by 123I-BMIPP imaging were 74% and 86%, respectively, whereas rates of sensitivity and specificity in detecting significant coronary stenosis by 201TlCl were 31% and 91%, respectively. 123I-BMIPP sensitivity increases to 86% if only advanced coronary stenosis of >90% is included. In conclusion, 123I-BMIPP myocardial imaging is an effective method of predicting coronary artery lesions of UA patients without provocative test.

Adult↗

Ethanol inhalation and dietary n-6, n-3, and n-9 fatty acids in the rat: effect on platelet and aortic fatty acid composition.

The effects of 18-carbon n-6, n-3, and n-9 fatty acid diets and ethanol exposure on the fatty acyl composition of platelets and vascular tissue were examined. An experimental design was devised to control the dietary content of 18-carbon fatty acids. The levels of 18:3n6, 18:3n3 and 18:1n9 were varied by a formulation of dietary oils which contained similar proportions of 18:2n6. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed a purified diet containing 11% by weight of either borage oil (BOR) rich in 18:3n6, linseed/safflower oil (LSO) rich in 18:3n3, or sesame oil (SES) rich in 18:1n9 for 7 weeks and exposed to ethanol vapors by means of inhalation for the final 6 days of the dietary regimen. Moderate blood ethanol levels of 118 +/- 6.6 mg/dl were obtained. Total lipids were extracted from platelets and aortae, and the fatty acid distributions were analyzed by gas chromatography. BOR feeding resulted in increases in the proportion of n-6 fatty acids (18:3n6, 20:3n6, 20:4n6) in platelets and aorta. Animals fed the LSO diet had increased levels of n-3 fatty acids (18:3n3, 20:5n3, 22:6n3). The SES-based diet resulted in an increase in 18:1n9 in both aorta and platelets. Following ethanol exposure alone, the most marked change in the fatty acid profile was a decrease in 20:4n6 in the platelet. This effect was not observed in rats supplemented with BOR. No significant changes were observed in the aortic fatty acid content at this level of ethanol exposure. The results suggested that, in the rat, a diet enriched with BOR effectively prevented ethanol-induced alterations in platelet fatty acid composition.

Administration, Inhalation↗

Influence of Korean pine (Pinus koraiensis)-seed oil containing cis-5,cis-9,cis-12-octadecatrienoic acid on polyunsaturated fatty acid metabolism, eicosanoid production and blood pressure of rats.

The effects of dietary Korean pine (Pinus koraiensis)-seed oil containing a peculiar trienoic acid (cis-5,cis-9,cis-12-18:3, pinolenic acid, approximately 18%) on various lipid variables were compared in rats with those of flaxseed (Linum usitatissimum L.) oil, safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) oil and evening primrose (Oenothera biennis L.) oil under experimental conditions where the effects of different polyunsaturated fatty acids could be estimated. In Sprague-Dawley rats fed on diets containing 100 g fat and 5 g cholesterol/kg, the hypocholesterolaemic activity of pinolenic acid was intermediate between alpha-linolenic and linoleic acids. Analysis of the fatty acid composition of liver phosphatidylcholine indicated that, in contrast to alpha-linolenic acid, pinolenic acid does not interfere with the desaturation of linoleic acid to arachidonic acid. However, the effects on ADP-induced platelet aggregation and aortic prostacyclin production were comparable. When spontaneously hypertensive rats were fed on diets containing 100 g fat/kg but free of cholesterol, gamma-linolenic and pinolenic acids, as compared with linoleic acid, increased prostacyclin production and tended to reduce platelet aggregation. In addition, pinolenic acid attenuated the elevation of blood pressure after 5 weeks of feeding. Thus, the results of the present studies indicate the beneficial effects of pinolenic acid on various lipid variables.

Animals↗

alpha-Linolenic acid and long-chain omega-3 fatty acid supplementation in three patients with omega-3 fatty acid deficiency: effect on lymphocyte function, plasma and red cell lipids, and prostanoid formation.

alpha-Linolenic acid deficiency is described in three patients. Observed clinical symptoms were hemorrhagic dermatitis, hemorrhagic folliculitis, skin atrophy, and scaly dermatitis. Supplementation with ethyl alpha-linolenate followed by a purified fish oil (EPA-oil) began to normalize symptoms within 10 d. The mitogenic response in isolated lymphocytes was reduced whereas the number of T lymphocytes increased significantly. Serum thromboxanes, urinary excretion of 2,3-dinor-6-keto-prostaglandin F1 alpha (PGI2-M), and bleeding time were unaffected. The results indicate that omega-3 fatty acids are essential for normal accumulation of erythrocyte omega-6 acids. The dietary intake of long-chain omega-3 acids required to obtain midnormal concentrations of omega-3 acids in plasma and erythrocyte lipids was estimated to be 350-400 mg/d (0.4% of calories), whereas the corresponding mean intake of alpha-linolenic acid was 990 mg/d (1.0% of calories). It is suggested that essential fatty acid requirement should be stated as grams or milligrams per day, similarly to other essential nutrients.

Dermatitis↗

Coordinated stimulation by triiodothyronine of fatty acid synthesis and isoproterenol-sensitive fatty acid release in two preadipocyte cell lines of lean or genetically obese mice.

The development and thyroid hormone sensitivity of fatty acid and triacylglycerol synthesis from 14C-acetate and of the isoproterenol-sensitive fatty acid release, were studied in two preadipocyte cell lines during the adipose differentiation: the Ob 17 and the HGFu cell lines cloned from the periepididymal adipose tissue of adult mice genetically obese and phenotypically lean respectively. Both parameters increased and peaked in the same time-period during the second week of culture after confluence. Both parameters were also amplified when T3 was added to the culture medium at confluence. The increment due to T3 was concentration dependent: it peaked at the physiological concentration of 1.5 nM and declined thereafter with the same pattern. This shows that some steps of two opposite pathways of lipid metabolism in differentiating preadipose cells can be stimulated by triiodothyronine in a similar manner and suggests a coordinated regulation. No significant difference could be detected between cells from lean or genetically obese mice.

Adipose Tissue↗

The effect of dietary n-6 and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on blood pressure and tissue fatty acid composition in spontaneously hypertensive rats.

Effects of dietary n-6 and n-3 fatty acids (FAs) on blood pressure (BP) and tissue phospholipid (PL) FA composition in spontaneously hypertensive (SHR) and normotensive Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats were compared. Male weanling SHR and WKY were fed a fat-free semisynthetic diet supplemented with 10% (w/w) fats containing (a) 78% 18:2n-6 (LA-rich), (b) 20% LA and 55% 18:3n-3 (LN-rich), or (c) 11% LA and 3% LN (CON) for seven weeks. Dietary fats did not affect the BP elevation, but significantly altered the FA composition of brain, adrenal gland, renal medulla and cortex PL in SHR. The LA-rich diet increased n-6 FA while it reduced n-3 FA levels. The levels of 20:4n-6 were not significantly different between animals fed the LA-rich and the CON diets. LN-rich diet increased the levels of n-3 FAs, while it reduced those of n-6 FAs. However, the extent of change was significantly less in SHR than in WKY. In all dietary groups, SHR, as compared to WKY, had a relatively higher level of the 2 series prostaglandin (PG) precursor, 20:4n-6, and a relatively lower level of the 1 and 3 series PG precursors, 20:3n-6 and 20:5n-3. The possibility that the unbalanced eicosanoid FA precursor levels might contribute to the development of hypertension in this animal model is discussed.

Adrenal Glands↗

Synthesis of estradiol fatty acid esters by human breast tumors: fatty acid composition and comparison to estrogen and progesterone receptor content.

The estradiol-17 beta-fatty acid esters are non-polar metabolites of estradiol, formed in many tissues, including human breast tumors. It has been shown in the rat that the synthesis of these esters is greatest in those tissues that respond to estrogen stimulation. Thus the possibility was explored that the biosynthesis of the estradiol esters in human breast tumors occurs mainly in those tumors that are estrogen sensitive; and thus that the synthesis of this family of non-polar metabolites of estradiol could be used as an additional marker for the identification of hormonally dependent tumors. However, the conversion of estradiol to the esters did not correlate with other indicators of estrogen responsiveness, the progesterone or estrogen receptors. Interestingly, the composition of the fatty acids in the estradiol-17-esters synthesized in the human tumors was markedly different from those originally identified in the bovine uterus. In the bovine uterus, the esters were predominantly unsaturated, 85%, while in this study the saturated esters were the major component. Since after systemic administration the saturated estradiol-17-esters have been found to be much longer-lived than the unsaturated esters, the biosynthesis of the relatively high proportion of saturated esters by human breast tumors may indicate a significantly prolonged duration for the estrogenic signal produced by endogenously formed estradiol esters. These esters formed and sequestered within the tumor cell, may serve as a preformed store of estradiol, which after enzymatic hydrolysis, can locally stimulate growth of tumors that are estrogen responsive.

Breast Neoplasms↗

Delta-6-desaturase and delta-5-desaturase in human Hep G2 cells are both fatty acid interconversion rate limiting and are upregulated under essential fatty acid deficient conditions.

Essential fatty acids are interconverted by desaturases and elongases to eicosanoid precursors. In essential fatty acid deficiency (EFAD) an increased hepatic interconversion of linoleic acid (18:2) to arachidonic acid (20:4n-6) has been demonstrated in vivo. We now cultured Hep G2 cells under EFAD conditions. 20:3n-6 appeared in EFAD cells, but also in controls. After adding 14C-18:2 to the medium, interconversion products and their distribution in different lipids were studied by HPLC. When trace amounts 18:2 were incubated, 38% were converted by the EFAD cells after 21 h, vs 6% by controls. 20% was converted to 20:4 by EFAD cells vs 14% by controls. EFAD cells preferentially distributed more 18:2 and conversion products to neutral fats and to phosphatidyl ethanolamine, but less to cardiolipin than controls did, when incubated with trace amount 18:2, but not with 1 mM 18:2. A relative accumulation of radioactivity in 20:3 was observed. In conclusion; in EFAD Hep G2 cells delta-6- and delta-5-desaturase both were found to be upregulated and eicosanoid precursors were distributed more into phosphatidyl ethanolamine. Delta-5-desaturase had a rate limiting property as well as delta-6-desaturase.

Arachidonic Acid↗

N-cyclohexanecarbonylpentadecylamine: a selective inhibitor of the acid amidase hydrolysing N-acylethanolamines, as a tool to distinguish acid amidase from fatty acid amide hydrolase.

Anandamide ( N-arachidonoylethanolamine) and other bioactive N-acylethanolamines are degraded to their corresponding fatty acids and ethanolamine. This hydrolysis is mostly attributed to catalysis by FAAH (fatty acid amide hydrolase), which exhibits an alkaline pH optimum. In addition, we have identified another amidase which catalyses the same reaction exclusively at acidic pH values [Ueda, Yamanaka and Yamamoto (2001) J. Biol. Chem. 276, 35552-35557]. In attempts to find selective inhibitors of this acid amidase, we screened various derivatives of palmitic acid, 1-hexadecanol, and 1-pentadecylamine with N-palmitoylethanolamine as substrate. Here we show that N-cyclohexanecarbonylpentadecylamine inhibits the acid amidase from rat lung with an IC50 of 4.5 microM, without inhibiting FAAH at concentrations up to 100 microM. The inhibition was reversible and non-competitive. This compound also inhibited the acid amidase in intact alveolar macrophages. With the aid of this inhibitor, it was revealed that rat basophilic leukaemia cells possess the acid amidase as well as FAAH. Thus the inhibitor may be a useful tool to distinguish the acid amidase from FAAH in various tissues and cells and to elucidate the physiological role of the enzyme.

Amides↗

Effect of plasma free fatty acid concentration on the content and composition of the free fatty acid fraction in rat skeletal muscles.

Skeletal muscles contain a fraction of free (unesterified) fatty acids. This fraction is very small, but important since it contributes to the creation of the plasma-myocyte free fatty acid concentration gradient. Maintenance of this gradient is necessary for blood-borne fatty acids to be transported into the cell. There are no data on the regulation of the content and composition of the free fatty acid fraction in the cell. The aim of the present study was to examine the effect of an elevation and a reduction in the plasma-borne free fatty acid concentration on the content and composition of the free fatty acid fraction in different skeletal muscle types. The experiments were carried out on male Wistar rats with 280 - 310 g body weight. They were divided into four groups - 1, control; 2, exercised 3 h on a treadmill moving with a speed of 1,200 m/h and set at + 10 degrees incline; 3, treated with heparin; and 4, treated with nicotinic acid. Samples of the soleus as well as the red and white sections of the gastrocnemius muscles were taken. These muscles are composed mostly of slow-twitch oxidative, fast-twitch oxidative-glycolytic and fast-twitch glycolytic fibres, respectively. Lipids were extracted from the muscle samples and from the blood; the free fatty acid fraction was isolated by means of thin-layer chromatography. The individual free fatty acids were identified and quantified using gas-liquid chromatography. The plasma concentration of free fatty acids was as follows: control group, 236.1 +/- 32.9; after exercise, 407.4 +/- 117.5; after heparin, 400.8 +/- 36.8; and after nicotinic acid, 102.5 +/- 26.1 micromol/l (p < 0.01 vs. control values in each case). The total content of the free fatty acid fraction in the control group was as follows: white gastrocnemius, 27.6 +/- 7.3; red gastrocnemius, 52.2 +/- 13.9; soleus, 72.3 +/- 10.2 nmol/g. Elevation in plasma free acid concentration during exercise increased the total content of free fatty acids in the white gastrocnemius (38.7 +/- 13.9) and in the soleus (103.4 +/- 15.9 nmol/g; rest-exercise: p < 0.05 and p < 0.01, respectively), but had no effect in the red gastrocnemius. Neither elevation in the plasma free fatty acid concentration with heparin nor reduction with nicotinic acid affected the total content of the free fatty acid fraction in the muscles examined. The ratio of plasma concentration of individual acid to muscle concentration for the same acid varied greatly, depending on acid, muscle type and experimental group. The ratio was positive (above unity) for each acid almost in all cases with the exception of certain acids in the nicotinic acid-treated group where it was below unity. We conclude that the skeletal myocytes maintain a stable level of free fatty acid fraction in the wide range of plasma free fatty acid concentrations.

Animals↗

Fatty acid metabolism in human lymphocytes. II. Activation of fatty acid desaturase-elongase systems during blastic transformation.

The fatty acid desaturation-elongation ability of human T-lymphocytes during blastic transformation was determined both by gas-liquid chromatography and incubation with radiolabeled precursors. Human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were activated with phytohemagglutinin (PHA) and cultured in media supplemented with different fatty acids (18:0, 18:1(n - 9), 18:2(n - 6), 18:3(n - 3) and 20:4(n - 6)) at a final concentration of 30 microM. All the fatty acids added were elongated by activated PBMC and the maximal activity was observed on 20:4(n - 6) (a 25% of conversion to 22:4(n - 6)). Supplementation with stearic acid increased the proportion of oleic (from 21.4% to 23.7%) and eicosaenoic (from 3.1% to 5.7%) acids in cellular lipids, indicating the existence of a delta 9-desaturase activity. Supplementation with linoleic and linoleic acids increased slightly the cell content in their more unsaturated derivatives. Direct measurement of desaturase activities was performed by incubating quiescent and activated PBMC with [1-14C]stearic, [1-14C]linoleic and [1-14C]linolenic acids. Quiescent cells exhibited a very low delta 9-desaturase and no sign of delta 6-desaturase activity. A moderate and progressive activation of delta 9-, delta 6- and delta 5-desaturases was observed during blastic transformation of human PBMC. Up to 8% of 18:0 was converted to monoenes, 4% and 1.5% of 18:2(n - 6) was converted to trienes and tetraenes, respectively, and 14.5% of 18:3(n - 3) was converted to pentaenes. The maximal relative activities were found after 48 h of PHA-stimulation for delta 9-desaturase (around 90 pmol of 18:0 converted per 10(6) cells in the last 24 h) and at 72 h for delta 6- and delta 5-desaturases (around 75 and 140 pmol of 18:2 and 18:3, respectively, converted per 10(7) cells in the last 24 h). Although these activities are not enough to explain all the changes in fatty acid composition of human PBMC during blastic transformation, they may contribute to a more controlled cell phospholipid composition.

Acetyltransferases↗