# MARINE LIPIDS AND HUMAN SYNOVIAL CELLS

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA · 1987 · $111,398

## Abstract

Proliferation of synovial cells is a hallmark of rheumatoid
arthritis and is a central event in the process leading to joint
tissue injury in rheumatoid arthritis patients.  Little is known
about why these cells proliferate or how abnormal cell growth can
be regulated.  Certain fatty acids and their oxidative metabolites,
termed eicosanoids, are capable of influencing cell proliferation.
The major eicosanoid precursor in mammalian cells is arachidonic
acid (AA), precursor to dienoic prostaglandins.  The generation
and activities of eicosanoids can be modified by adding to cells in
vitro or to diets in vivo, substrates other than AA for oxidative
metabolism.  The goals of this proposal are to determine the
effects of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), an omega-3 fatty acid
(FA) prominent in fish lipid and precursor to trienoic
prostaglandins, on proliferation of human synovial cells in tissue
culture.  The effect on cell growth of another novel omega 3-FA
found in high concentration in fish oil - docosahexaenoic acid
(DCHA) will also be determined.  DCHA is not a prostaglandin
precursor, but FA themselves have important effects on cell
function and can influence metabolism of other FA.  The
metabolism of EPA (uptake by cells, distribution into
phospholipids including a poorly understood but potentially
important phospholipid termed plasmalogen, conversion to
trienoic prostaglandins) will be studied.  The influence of DCHA
and other FA on EPA metabolism and action on cell proliferation
will be investigated.

The potential effects of dietary fish oil supplements on synovial
cell proliferation and function and peripheral blood monocyte
function (mediator release, plasmalogen formation) will be
studied.

A unique animal model of inflammation, the dorsal subcutaneous
air pouch in the rat, will be utilized to determine the effect of
diets enriched in omega-3 FA on acute and chronic inflammation
and on growth of the synovial-like cells which line the pouch.

Further understanding of synovial cell proliferation and of
inexpensive nontoxic means to control it should be useful in the
search for agents which will be beneficial to patients with
diseases characterized by chronic inflammation and abnormal cell
growth.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 3158584
- **Project number:** 1R01AR038501-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
- **SAM.gov UEI:** GM1XX56LEP58
- **Principal Investigator:** ROBERT B ZURIER
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 1987
- **Award amount:** $111,398
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 1987-08-01 → 1990-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/3158584

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 3158584, MARINE LIPIDS AND HUMAN SYNOVIAL CELLS (1R01AR038501-01). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-25 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/3158584. Licensed CC0.

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