Essential fatty acid metabolism in cultured human airway epithelial cells.

To characterize essential fatty acid metabolism of human airway epithelium, we examined the capacity of epithelial cells to incorporate and desaturate/elongate 18:2(n - 6) and the turnover of phospholipid fatty acyl chains in these cells. Epithelial cells were cultured for 5-7 days and incubated with [1-14C]18:2(n - 6) (1 microCi, 100 nmol). The essential fatty acid profile of the cells was readily modified by 18:2(n - 6) supplementation to culture medium. After 4 h incubation, 32 +/- 5.6 nmol of [1-14C]18:2(n - 6) was incorporated into phospholipids (65 +/- 9.5%, of which 74% was incorporated into phosphatidylcholine (PC)) and neutral lipid (31 +/- 10%) per mg protein of cultured cells. 30 +/- 8% of [1-14C]18:2(n - 6) incorporated, was converted to homologous trienes, tetraenes and pentaenes, the major products being 20:3(n - 6) and 20:4(n - 6). The conversion of 18:2(n - 6) was time-dependent and donor age-related. A higher proportion of 20:3(n - 6) and 20:4(n - 6) was incorporated into phosphatidylinositol (PI) and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE). About 10-15% of total products formed from 18:2(n - 6) was released from membrane to culture medium. Both 20:4(n - 6) and 20:5(n - 3) inhibited 18:2(n - 6) incorporation and desaturation. Rate of incorporation of 18:2(n - 6) was more than either 18:1(n - 9) or 16:0. With pulse-chase studies, the half-life of 18:2(n - 6) in PC, PI and PE was estimated to be 5.5, 6.0 and 7.3 h, respectively. These data indicate active metabolism of essential fatty acids in human airway epithelial cells. This metabolism may play a key role in the regulation of membrane properties and function in these cells.