Differences in the fatty acid composition of KB-cells and gingival keratinocytes is culture medium additive dependent

The influence of culture medium additives foetal bovine serum (FBS), serum effective substitutes (SES) and human autologous serum on the fatty acid profile of KB-cells and human gingival keratinocytes was examined. The KB-cells were cultivated in RPMI medium added with FBS or SES and the gingival keratinocytes in D-MEM added with FBS or human autologous serum. Two days before the cells were prepared for gas chromatography (GC), the media were changed to serum- and antibiotic-free media. Whole fatty acids of the cells were analysed using GC and the fatty acid profiles were compared. KB-cells as well as gingival keratinocytes changed their fatty acid composition, according to the medium additive used. Significant differences were observed. In the case of KB-cells cultivated with SES the fatty acid changes suggest an increase of the membrane fluidity. Corresponding and significant differences were observed with gingival keratinocytes cultivated in medium added with human autologous serum: the membrane fluidity of the gingival keratinocytes was increased. It is supposed that an increased membrane fluidity caused by a different fatty acid spectrum of the host cell may relate to mechanisms of bacterial adhesion. Consequently, in vitro studies on invasion and adhesion of bacteria or virus are dependent on the medium used. Further analyses are necessary of the functional effects caused by differences in the content of specific FAs, especially with regard to the application of cultivated cells in the field of tissue engineering.