Oleic and vaccenic acid levels in lipid clases of tumors.

The isomeric octadecenoate composition of triglyceride, phosphatidyicholine, and phosphatidylethanolamine classes from a variety of rat and mouse tumors was examined. Phosphatidylethanolamine from the tumors contained a higher percentage of octadecenoate than reported for many normal tissues. The octadecenoate fractions of the three lipid classes from various tumors consisted of ca. 75% or greater oleate, with vaccenate making up the balance. These data indicate that the loss of lipid class specificity for isomeric octadecenoates reported in hepatomas (Lipids 10:746, 1975, and Lipids 9:987, 1974) also occurs in other tumors.