Abstract
Summary
Phospholipids and their acyl group composition in mammary adenocarcinomas and mammary tissue of the same tumor-bearing animals were investigated. Breast adenocarcinoma induced by dimethylbenz(a)anthracene exhibited a phospholipid pattern which was different from that of the mammary tissue. Tumor phospholipids had higher proportions of diacyl-GPI, diacyl-GPE, and alkenylacyl-GPE and a lower proportion of diacyl-GPC than the controls. The acyl groups of most phospholipids in tumors showed a marked increase in the proportion of 18:1 and a decrease in the proportion of 18:2. The fatty acid composition of plasmalogen and triglyceride, however, remained unchanged. In spite of the decrease in the proportion of 18:2, there was no apparent difference in the proportion of 20:4 in most of the phosphoglycerides; however, a significant decrease in this fatty acid was noted in diacyl-GPI. Results of this study demonstrated that the membrane phospholipids of mammary adenocarcinoma were altered in respect to acyl group composition. Changes in physical properties of the cell membrane, in turn, could lead to abnormal manifestation of membrane regulated events in tumor cells.
The technical assistance of Mrs. H. Winniczek is gratefully acknowledged. This investigation was supported in part by US PHS Research Grant NS-12118 and Grant RR-334 from NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, grants from The American Cancer Society, Oregon Division, and a research grant from the Camach Trust Fund of Oregon.
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