In vitro activity of the fatty acyl desaturases of human cancerous and noncancerous tissues

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Abstract
The microsomal desaturase activity of human cancerous and noncancerous tissues was measured in vitro using 1‐14C,‐11,14‐eicosadienoic and 1‐14C‐oleic acids as substrates. Tissues used were a case of ovarian cancer, a urinary bladder cancer, a rectal cancer, and a nonspecific colonic ulcer with appropriately normal tissues. When 11,14–20∶2 was used as substrate, radioactive tetraene and triene were produced. The tetraene was identified by radio gas chromatography as arachidonic acid (5,8,11,14–20∶4), and the triene had a retention time of 5,11,14–20∶3. Thus, the possibility arises that a Δ8 desaturase was involved. In the Δ6 desaturase, with the urinary bladder