Effects of eicosanoid metabolism inhibitors on growth of a human gastric tumour cell line (HGT).

HGT cells are a human gastric cell line derived from a tumour of the stomach. We have investigated the effects of lipoxygenase and cyclooxygenase metabolism inhibitors on HGT cell proliferation, on fatty acid composition of HGT cells and on the incorporation and distribution of arachidonic acid (AA) in HGT lipids. The cyclooxygenase inhibitor aspirin and both cyclooxygenase and the lipoxygenase inhibitor BW 755C suppressed cell proliferation in a concentration-dependent manner. The inhibition of HGT proliferation did not result from a modulation of the fatty acid composition of membrane lipid, which was not affected by treatment with the various inhibitors. Inhibitors of AA metabolism did not alter acylation of exogenous AA into HGT cells nor its subsequent distribution in the lipid and phospholipid species. The role of cyclooxygenase eicosanoids in HGT proliferation is discussed.