Arachidonic acid metabolism in isolated gastric mucous and parietal cells

Arachidonic acid metabolism was studied in isolated gastric mucous and parietal cells. During a 90 min incubation, mucous cells incorporated [1-14C]arachidonic acid (4.5 mumol/l) into triacylglycerols (500 pmol/mg protein), phosphatidylcholine (520), phosphatidylethanolamine (290) and phosphatidylinositol (100). 230 pmol/mg protein was recovered as 14CO2 and 130 pmol/mg protein in the form of unidentified water-soluble metabolites. The incorporation rates were linearly related with arachidonic acid concentration up to 10 mumol/l. Neither equimolar concentrations of oleic acid, palmitic acid and linoleic acid nor prostaglandin E2 (1 mumol/l) or indomethacin (10 mumol/l) affected incorporation. During prolonged incubation incorporated arachidonic acid was transferred from triacylglycerols and phosphatidylcholine to phosphatidylethanolamine. Upon subcellular fractionation most of the incorporated arachidonic acid was found in the microsomal fraction. Compared with mucous cells, parietal cells incorporated arachidonic acid less quickly into phospholipids, but utilized it more efficiently for energy metabolism. In conclusion gastric cells show a highly dynamic metabolism of arachidonic acid which is qualitatively similar but quantitatively different between cell types.