The incorporation and metabolism of polyunsaturated fatty acids in phospholipids of cultured cells from chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta)

Role and relevance of fish cell lines in advanced in vitro research

Introduction

Cell line derived from fish has been established as a promising tool for studying many key issues of aquaculture covering fish growth, disease, reproduction, genetics, and biotechnology. In addition, fish cell lines are very useful in vitro models for toxicological, pathological, and immunological studies. The easier maintenance of fish cell lines in flexible temperature regimes and hypoxic conditions make them preferable in vitro tools over mammalian cell lines. Great excitement has been observed in establishing and characterizing new fish cell lines representing diverse fish species and tissue types. The well-characterized and authenticated cell lines are of utmost essential as these represent cellular functions very similar to in vivo state of an organism otherwise it would affect the reproducibility of scientific research.

Conclusion

The fish cell lines have exhibited encouraging results in several key aspects of in vitro research in aquaculture including virology, nutrition and metabolism, production of vaccines, and transgenic fish production. The review paper reports the cell lines developed from fish, their characterization, and biobanking along with their potential applications and challenges in in vitro research.

Dietary supplementation with arachidonic acid in tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus) reveals physiological effects not mediated by prostaglandins

This study aims to clarify the role of the polyunsaturated fatty acid arachidonic acid (ArA, 20:4n-6) in the stress response of Mozambique tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus). ArA is converted into eicosanoids, including prostaglandins, which can influence the response to stressors. Tilapia, a species able to form ArA from its precursor, was supplemented with ArA for 18 days, after which they were confined for 5 min. Acetylsalicylic acid (ASA, COX-inhibitor) was subsequently administered to distinguish ArA-mediated effects from enhanced prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2)) synthesis. ArA supplemented fish had higher ArA levels in gills and kidneys, and these levels were further enhanced after ASA treatment. Levels of total monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids as well as docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and ArA, were altered 24h after confinement, particularly in the kidneys. ArA supplementation had no effect on basal cortisol levels, while ArA + ASA reduced basal cortisol levels. ArA + ASA augmented the cortisol response to confinement. The combination of ArA + ASA also elevated plasma basal prolactin (tPRL)(177) and 3,5,3'-triiodothyronine (T(3)) levels. Neither ArA nor ASA affected the stress-associated increases in plasma glucose and lactate. Na(+), K(+)-ATPase activity in the gills was reduced after ArA supplementation and was even further suppressed by subsequent ASA treatment. In an additional feeding trial, ArA supplementation enhanced the renal Na(+), K(+)-ATPase activity. In vitro, ArA was a potent inhibitor of the Na(+), K(+)-ATPase activity of gill and kidney homogenates. In contrast, PGE(2) had no effect on branchial ATPase, whereas the effect on renal ATPase activity was concentration dependent. Modifying the dietary intake of ArA alters the response of tilapia to an acute stressor and influences osmoregulatory processes and it is unlikely that these effects are due to an enhanced production of prostaglandins.

Effects of polyunsaturated fatty acids and some of their metabolites on mitotic activity of vascular smooth muscle explants from the coronary artery of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

This study is the first to examine the effects of polyunsaturated fatty acids and some of their metabolites on [3H]thymidine incorporation into vascular smooth muscle explants from the coronary artery of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). At a concentration of 120 μM, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA; 20:5ω3), arachidonic acid (AA; 20:4ω6), and eicosatrienoic acid (ETA; 20:3ω6) all approximately doubled [3H]thymidine incorporation relative to controls. At a concentration of 20 μM, EPA had no significant effect, while ETA inhibited and AA caused an almost 5-fold increase in [3H]thymidine incorporation. The large mitogenic effect of 20 μM AA was completely inhibited by simultaneous addition of EPA to the culture medium. ETA only partially inhibited the mitogenic effect of 20 μM AA. Four AA-derived eicosanoids (or their stable analogues) were also tested. [3H]Thymidine incorporation was at least doubled with 1000 ng/mL carbacyclin (a prostacyclin analogue), 120 ng/mL prostaglandin F2α, and U-46619 (a thromboxane A2 analogue), but did not reach the level of stimulation produced by 20 μM AA. Leukotriene C4 had no significant effect. We conclude that dietary modulation of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in salmonids could have significant effects on coronary vascular smooth muscle mitosis through the incorporation of PUFAs into cell membranes and the production of eicosanoids.

Occurrence of 22:3n-9 and 22:4n-9 in the lipids of the topminnow (Poeciliopsis lucida) hepatic tumor cell line, PLHC-1

The lipids of the hepatic tumor cell line, PLHC-1, from the topminnow (Poeciliopsis lucida), were found to contain considerable amounts of a range of n-9 polyunsaturated fatty acids despite culture in serum containing significant amounts of essential fatty acids. The structural identity of all the n-9 polyunsaturated fatty acids was confirmed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Of particular interest, PLHC-1 cell total lipid contained 1.9% of 22:3n-9 and 3.3% of 22:4n-9. As the culture medium contained virtually no n-9 polyunsaturated fatty acids, these fatty acids are all formed by the PLHC-1 cells, presumably from 18:1n-9. The 22:3n-9 and 22:4n-9 are presumably formed by processes of elongation and "delta 4" desaturation of Mead acid, 20:3n-9, present at over 11% in fatty acids of total lipid. Both 22:3n-9 and 22:4n-9 were primarily located in phosphatidylserine (4.1 and 8.5%, respectively) and, to a lesser extent, in phosphatidylethanolamine (2.2 and 6.5%, respectively), in common with the C22 derivatives of the n-3 and n-6 series, whereas 20:3n-9 was preferentially located in phosphatidylinositol (31.2%). The results establish that long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids of the n-9 series can be formed in vertebrate tissue other than in conditions of classical essential fatty acid deficiency.

Effects of different dietary arachidonic acid : docosahexaenoic acid ratios on phospholipid fatty acid compositions and prostaglandin production in juvenile turbot (Scophthalmus maximus)

Five purified diets containing AA (20:4n-6) at 0.02-0.78% dry weight and DHA (22:6n-3) at 0.93-0.17% dry weight were fed to duplicate groups of juvenile turbot (Scophthalmus maximus) of initial weight 0.87 g for a period of 11 weeks. The dietary DHA:AA ratio ranged from 62 to 0.2. Incorporation of AA into liver phospholipids increased with increasing dietary AA input. Phospholipids from fish fed diets containing 0.02, 0.06 and 0.11% of dry weight as AA generally contained less AA compared to fish fed fish oil while those fed diets containing 0.35 and 0.78% of dry weight as AA had higher AA levels in their phospholipids. The highest levels of AA were found in PI but the greatest percentage increase in AA incorporation was in PE and PC. Brain phospholipid fatty acid compositions were less altered by dietary treatment than those of liver but DHA content of PC and PE in brain was substantially lower in fish fed 0.93% pure DHA compared to those fed fish oil. This suggests that dietary DHA must exceed 1% of dry weight to satisfy the requirements of the developing neural system in juvenile turbot. In both tissues, (20:5n-3) concentration was inversely related to both dietary and tissue PI AA concentration. Similar dietary induced changes in AA, EPA and DHA concentrations occurred in the phospholipids of heart, gill and kidney. PGE2 and 6-ketoPGF1α were measured in homogenates of heart, brain, gill and kidney. In general, fish fed the lowest dietary AA levels had reduced levels of prostaglandins in their tissue homogenates while those fed the highest level of AA had increased prostaglandin levels, compared to fish fed fish oil. In brains, the PGE2 concentration was only significantly increased in fish fed the highest dietary AA.

Effects of diets rich in linoleic (18:2n - 6) and α-linolenic (18:3n - 3) acids on the growth, lipid class and fatty acid compositions and eicosanoid production in juvenile turbot (Scophthalmus maximus L.)

Three practical-type diets utilizing fishmeal and casein as the protein sources and containing fish oil (FO), safflower oil (SO) or linseed oil (LO) were fed to duplicate groups of juvenile turbot (Scophthalmus maximus) of initial weight 1.2 g for a period of 12 weeks. No differences in final weight, mortality or development of pathological lesions were evident either between duplicate tanks or between dietary treatments over this period. Fish fed diets containing SO and LO contained significantly greater amounts of liver triacylglycerol compared to fish fed FO. The major C18 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in SO and LO diets, 18:2(n-6) and 18:3(n-3) respectively, were readily incorporated into both total lipid and individual phospholipids of turbot tissues. There was no accumulation of the Δ6-desaturation products of these fatty acids, namely 18:3(n-6) and 18:4(n-3), in any of the tissues examined. The products of elongation of 18:2(n-6) and and 18:3(n-3), 20:2(n-6) and 20:3(n-3) respectively, accumulated in both total lipid and phospholipids with the highest levels of 20:2(n-6) in liver PC and 20:3(n-3) in liver PE. Eicosapentaenoic acid [EPA, 20:5(n-3)] levels exceeded those of arachidonic acid [AA, 20:4(n-6)] in phosphatidylinositol (PI) from liver and gill of fish fed LO. EPA levels in liver PI from fish fed LO were 3-fold and 2-fold greater than SO-fed and FO-fed fish, respectively. Fish fed diets containing SO and LO had significantly reduced levels of AA in liver and muscle total lipid and lower AA in individual phospholipid classes of liver and gill compared to FO-fed fish. The concentration of thromboxane B2 was significantly reduced in plasma and isolated gill cells stimulated with calcium ionophore A23187 of fish fed SO and LO compared to those fed FO. Prostaglandin E produced by isolated gill cells stimulated with A23187 was significantly reduced in fish fed both SO and LO compared to fish fed FO.