Effect of linoleic acid on proliferation and gene expression in the breast cancer cell line T47D.

Human and animal studies have linked n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids with mammary carcinogenesis. We investigated the cellular and molecular effects of linoleic acid on the human breast cancer cell line T47D. Linoleic acid had a stimulatory effect on the growth of T47D cells, associated with an increase in the proportion of cells in the S phase of the cell cycle. Microarray, functional group and quantitative PCR analyses indicate that linoleic acid may affect T47D cell growth by modulation of the estrogen receptor (ERalpha), the G13alpha G protein, and p38 MAP kinase gene expression as well genes involved in RNA transcription and cell cycle regulation.