The Na+K+ATPase activity in cultured human fibroblasts with an elevated phospholipid triene:tetraene ratio.

Human skin fibroblasts were cultured at low density for 11 days in MCDB 110, 0.4% fetal bovine serum, a mitogen mixture, and were supplemented with 18:2n-6 or 18:1n-9 as a fatty acid-albumin complex. The cells cultured with the 18:2n-6 supplement had a 20:3n-9/20:4n-6 ratio of 0.29 +/- 0.07; the 18:1n-9 supplemented cells had a ratio of 1.51 +/- 0.27. There was less than 4% difference in total growth of the cell population under the two culture conditions. The cells supplemented with 18:2n-9 had similar levels of protein/cell, K+/mg cell protein and functional Na+K+ATPase activity.