Butylated Hydroxyanisole-Induced Changes in Lipid Synthesis by Tetrahymena pyriformis ¹

The effect of butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) on synthesis of the major lipid classes was studied using Tetrahymena pyriformis as a model cellular system. Initial changes in the amount of lipids were observed after 3 h of exposure to the antioxidant. After 24 h of exposure to increasing concentrations of BHA, there were significant differences in the percentage of [¹⁴C]acetate incorporated into various lipid classes with a decrease in the percentage of polar lipids synthesized and an increase in the percentage of triglycerides, free fatty acids and tetrahymanol synthesized. Addition of BHA at a concentration up to 12.5 μg/ml resulted in inhibition of the synthesis of lipid fractions. In addition, the carrier used to add the antioxidant to the test culture had an effect on the cellular toxicity of the antioxidant. Dimethylsulfoxide reduced the toxicity of BHA when compared to ethanol. These results suggest that BHA will alter the relative rates of synthesis of various lipids in T. pyriformis , thus altering the lipid composition of the cell.