Inhibition of arachidonate biosynthesis in hepatoma tissue culture cells by 11-deoxycorticosterone-induced factor.

In this work it was demonstrated that the incubation of hepatoma cultured cells (HTC 7288 c) with 11-deoxycorticosterone (DOC) ranging from 0 to 10(-4) M concentration provoked a dose-dependent inhibition in the conversion of [1-14C] eicosatrienoic acid to arachidonic acid. This steroid also produced an increase in the uptake of exogenous 20:3 (n-6) acid. The depressive effect evoked by DOC on delta 5 desaturating activity was reflected on the fatty acid composition changes of the hepatoma cells. The delta 5 desaturase activity was inhibited by a soluble factor that would be induced by the hormone and that was present in the cytosol fraction from DOC-treated cells, corresponding to a low molecular mass below 25 kDa. Presently we report that an 11-beta-OH group on the steroid molecule is not an essential requirement for the production of a delta 5 desaturase inhibitory factor.