Effect of cellular fatty acid alteration on hyperthermic sensitivity in cultured L1210 murine leukemia cells

The authors investigated the effect of fatty acid alteration on the thermosensitivity of a mammalian tumor cell, the L1210 lymphoblastic leukemia. Cells growing in Roswell Park Memorial Institute Medium 1640 with 5% fetal calf serum were modified with respect to their fatty acid composition by supplementing the media with either 40 mu M docosahexaenoic acid (22:6) or oleic acid (18:1). A soft-agar clonogenic assay was used to assess viability following hyperthermic exposure. Electron spin resonance studies suggested a significant increase in membrane fluidity when cells were grown in 22:6-supplemented media and a decrease when cells were grown in 18:1-supplemented media. These data demonstrate that modification of the cellular fatty acid composition of a mammalian tumor cell dramatically affects its thermosensitivity.