Effect of (n-3) fatty acid concentrate on the incorporation of fatty acids and glycerol into human hepatoma cell lipids

The effect of cell culture medium enrichment with n-3 fatty acid concentrate was studied in cultured human hepatoma cells (Hep G2). Cells were incubated for 24 h in a medium containing a concentrate (50 mu M) from mackerel oil. The incorporation, metabolism and release to the incubation medium of radioactive glycerol and palmitic and eicosatrienoic acids were studied. The lipid composition of control cells and of those supplemented with n-3 fatty acid-enriched medium were also analysed. The addition of n-3 acids to the culture medium produced a marked increase in the incorporation of radioactive acids in the triglyceride and free fatty acid fraction; there was also a rise in the amount of triglycerides and free fatty acid. In addition, n-3 acids cause a decrease in labelled palmitic acid incorporation into phospholipids. Yet the n-3 fatty acid-enriched medium modified the lipid composition of the cells and their excreted product.