Increased Phospholipid Fatty Acid Remodeling in Human and Rat Prostatic Adenocarcinoma Tissues

AbstractPurpose: To study the mechanism of diminished arachidonic acid levels in malignant prostatic tissues.Materials and Methods: Benign and malignant prostate tissues were obtained from human radical prostatectomy specimens and from rats using Pollard's Lobund/Wistar rat prostate cancer model. Fatty acid composition and a variety of enzyme activities involved in maintaining phospholipid fatty acid composition were compared in malignant and benign prostatic tissues.Results: Decreased arachidonic acid levels, previously reported in human prostate cancer, were present in malignant rat as well as in human tissues. There were 21 percent and 26 percent decreases of arachidonic acid levels in the rat and human malignant tissues compared with benign tissues. Fatty acid desaturase activity was undetectable. Fatty acyl-CoA hydrolase and synthetase activities were not altered in the malignant tissues. However, there was a 2-fold increase in phospholipase A2 activity and a 4- to 12-fold increase in fatty acyl-CoA ...