title: The effects of dietary treatment with essential fatty acids on sciatic nerve conduction and activity of the Na+/K+ pump in streptozotocin-diabetic rats.
abstract: 1. This study examined the effects of dietary essential fatty acid supplementation (5% (w/w) evening primrose oil) upon sciatic motor nerve conduction velocity and 86Rb+ pumping in sciatic nerve endoneurial preparations in rats with 4 to 5 weeks of streptozotocin-induced diabetes. 2. Control diabetic rats (dietary supplementation with 5% (w/w) hydrogenated coconut oil) exhibited a reduction in motor nerve conduction velocity (16%; P less than 0.05) compared to similarly-fed non-diabetic controls, but there was no significant alteration in ouabain-sensitive 86Rb+ pumping, a parameter reflecting activity of the Na+/K+ pump. 3. Treatment of diabetic rats with evening primrose oil prevented completely the development of the motor nerve conduction velocity deficit without affecting the severity of diabetes. Evening primrose oil treatment did not significantly affect motor nerve conduction velocity of non-diabetic animals. 4. Evening primrose oil treatment caused a significant reduction in activity of the Na+/K+ pump in sciatic nerves of diabetic animals (45%; P less than 0.05). 5. These results suggest that the acute conduction velocity defect arising in streptozotocin-diabetic rats, and the actions of evening primrose oil upon this, are independent of any effect on activity of the Na+/K+ pump. Other putative mechanisms are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, Queen Mary and Westfield College, London.
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Lockett
authors.forename: D R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Tomlinson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004032:Diet; D005228:Fatty Acids, Essential / Q000494:pharmacology; D008041:Linoleic Acids; D008297:Male; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000187:drug effects; D009431:Neural Conduction / Q000187:drug effects*; D031665:Oenothera biennis; D010938:Plant Oils / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012414:Rubidium Radioisotopes; D012584:Sciatic Nerve / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D000254:Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D017965:gamma-Linolenic Acid
chemical_list: D005228:Fatty Acids, Essential; D008041:Linoleic Acids; D010938:Plant Oils; D012414:Rubidium Radioisotopes; C028498:evening primrose oil; D017965:gamma-Linolenic Acid; D000254:Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase