Unsaturated fatty acid effects on human breast cancer cell adhesion

Polyunsaturated fatty acids influence several steps involved in metastasis formation in animal tumor models. During the process of metastasis from the primary site, tumor cells adhere to the endothelium and underlying basement membrane before extravasation and secondary growth. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of unsaturated fatty acids on adhesion of human breast cancer cell lines to components of the basement membrane. Cells were cultured in low-serum medium for five days with or without added unsaturated fatty acids. Adhesion assays were conducted by incubating cells with basement membrane substrates coated on 96-well plates, washing to remove nonadherent cells, and staining adherent cells with crystal violet. Linoleic acid (LA) and eicosapentaenoic acid increased adhesion of the metastatic cell line MDA-MB-231 to Matrigel and type IV collagen, while eicosapentaenoic acid decreased adhesion of the less metastatic cell line SK-BR-3 to these two basement membrane substrates. Oleic acid increased adhesion of MDA-MB-231 cells to Matrigel and fibronectin. Nordihydroguaiaretic acid and high concentrations of indomethacin, each of which inhibits the lipoxygenase pathway of arachidonate metabolism, were effective in reversing the stimulatory effect of LA on MDA-MB-231 cell adhesion. A protein kinase C inhibitor likewise suppressed the increase in adhesion observed when MDA-MB-231 cells were incubated in media with added LA. Unsaturated fatty acids modified the adhesive properties of human breast cancer cell lines in vitro, and LA appeared to increase human breast cancer cell adhesion to extracellular matrix components by activating lipoxygenase and/or protein kinase C pathways.