Influence of Fatty Acids and Bovine Serum Albumin on the Growth of Human Hepatoma and Immortalized Human Kidney Epithelial Cells

• Published in: In vitro cellular & developmental biology. Animal 1994-09, Vol.30A (9), p.568-573
• Main Authors: Einar Lystad, Høstmark, Arne T., Cecilie Kiserud, Haugen, Aage
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Albumins; alpha-Linolenic Acid - pharmacology; Arachidonic Acid - pharmacology; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular - pathology; Cell Division - drug effects; Cell growth; Cell Line, Transformed; Cell lines; Cellular and Molecular Toxicology; Docosahexaenoic Acids - pharmacology; Eicosapentaenoic Acid - pharmacology; Epithelial Cells; Fatty acids; Fatty Acids - pharmacology; Hep G2 cells; Humans; Kidney - cytology; Linoleic Acid; Linoleic Acids - pharmacology; Liver Neoplasms - pathology; Nonesterified fatty acids; Oleic Acid; Oleic Acids - pharmacology; Omega 6 fatty acids; Serum Albumin, Bovine - pharmacology; Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances - metabolism; Tumor Cells, Cultured; Unsaturated fatty acids; Vitamin E
• ISSN: 1071-2690; 1543-706X
• DOI: 10.1007/BF02631254

The protective influence of bovine serum albumin against growth inhibition caused by fatty acids was studied in human hepatoma (HepG2) and immortalized human kidney epithelial (IHKE) cells. In general, growth inhibition by unsaturated fatty acids (0.15 mmol/liter) increased with increasing number of double bonds. For HepG2 cells crude albumin (1 g/100 ml) did not greatly modify growth inhibition by arachidonic, eicosapentaenoic, and docosahexaenoic acid. With oleic, linoleic, and linolenic acids, crude and defatted albumin stimulated cell growth. In contrast, for IHKE cells both albumins counteracted growth inhibition by unsaturated fatty acids to approximately the same extent. When HepG2 cells were cultured in the presence of saturated fatty acids (0.3 mmol/liter), C2, C6, and C8 had no or little inhibitory effect. C10 and C12 inhibited cell growth appreciably, whereas C14, and especially C16, had poor inhibitory effects. Crude albumin counteracted growth inhibition by all these fatty acids. In contrast, defatted albumin had little or no effect (except against C10 and C12), and even increased the growth inhibition by C1.4 and C16. With unsaturated fatty acids there seemed to be an inverse relationship between cell growth and the concentration of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) in media. Vitamin E abolished growth inhibition (and the increase in TBARS concentration) by unsaturated fatty acids. The complex interaction between fatty acids and albumins calls for great caution when interpreting data on growth effects.