DOCOSAHEXAENOIC ACID IS A POTENT INHIBITOR OF RAT UTERINE STROMAL CELL-PROLIFERATION

The effect of different families of fatty acids on the proliferation o f rat uterine stromal cells (U-III) was studied, Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) exerted a strong and dose-dependent inhibitory effect (IC50 simi lar to 2 mu M), whereas arachidonic acid (AA) stimulated U-III cell pr oliferation at the optimal concentration of 10 mu M. Oleic, linoleic a nd linolenic acids were ineffective from 0.1 to 10 mu M. The inhibitor y effect of DHA was independent of the eicosanoid biosynthesis and lip id peroxidation, since it was not reversed by the addition of the anti oxidant BHT and no significant production of oxidized species from DHA occurred in our culture conditions. (C) 1995 Academic Press, Inc.