Abstract

Intracellular free fatty acid (FFA) release and peroxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) were studied in cultured human breast cancer cells (ZR-75-1) exposed to gamma-linolenic acid with iron (GLA + Fe). This treatment results in cell death. Increased intracellular FFA were observed in association with both the accelerated peroxidation of PUFA and the killing effect. Vitamin E reduced all three effects. The FFA were methyl esterified and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrnmetry. The identified FFAs were 16:0, 18:3, 20:3 and 20:4 (numbers of carbons and double bonds indicated). These results suggest an association of intracellular FFA release with the peroxidation of PUFA and the cancer cell-killing by GLA in the presence of iron.