摘要：Juniperonic acid (Δ-5 c ,11 c ,14 c ,17 c -20:4, JA) is a polymethylene-interrupted (PMI) fatty acid that occurs in Biota orientalis . In this study, we found that JA has an antiproliferative activity. Swiss 3T3 cells were preloaded with fatty acids before stimulation with bombesin, a mitogenic neuropeptide, and proliferation of the cells was assessed by [3H]thymidine incorporation. Preloading of linoleic acid (Δ-9 c ,12 c -18:2) significantly enhanced bombesin-induced proliferation. In contrast, preloading of eicosapentaenoic acid (Δ-5 c ,8 c ,11 c ,14 c ,17 c -20:5, EPA) suppressed proliferation. Likewise, cells preloaded with JA showed a significantly curtailed response to bombesin. The antiproliferative potency of JA was equivalent to that of EPA. Sciadonic acid (Δ-5 c ,11 c ,14 c -20:3), an ω-6 analogue of JA did not show antiproliferative activity, suggesting the importance of the ω-3 double bond rather than the PMI structure. The EPA-like activity of JA may be involved in the pharmaceutical activity of biota seeds, a psychoactive Chinese traditional medicine.
