Fatty acid contents in cardiomyocytes in culture supplemented with linoleic and linolenic acids

Cardiac tissue reconstructed with cultured cardiomyocytes cannot generate enough contractile force to pump the blood. To obtain higher contractile performance, we have focused on the difference in metabolism between cultured and natural cardiomyocytes, and reported in our previous study that polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) contents were considerably less in cultured cells than in neonatal myocardium. Based on the results, in the present study, we selected 2 basal PUFAs, linoleic (C18:2n-6) and linolenic (C18:3n-3) acids for n-6 and n-3 PUFAs, respectively, combined each of them with albumin, supplemented each into culture medium, and evaluated fatty acid contents of cardiomyocytes cultured for 14 d. The results showed that most of each supplemented PUFA was taken into cells, that most of taken PUFA were consumed, and that contents of longer-chain PUFAs were increased probably because carbon chain elongation of supplemented FA took place in cells. However, long-chain docosahexaenoic (C22:6n-3) and arachidonic (C20:4n-6) acids were still significantly less than those of neonatal myocardium. The results may imply that direct supplementation of them are essential in addition to the basal n-6 and n-3 PUFAs since longer-chain PUFAs play important roles in cell function.