Plasma, platelet, and aorta fatty acids composition in response to dietary n-6 and n-3 fats supplementation in a rat model of non-insulin-dependent diabetes.
Male Sprague-Dawley rats were injected with 90 mg/kg of streptozotocin at 2 days of age. After weaning, they were put on a fat-free diet supplemented with safflower oil (S), a combination of S and linseed oil (L) or a combination of evening primrose oil (E) and L for 8 weeks. Plasma glucose levels and glycosuria were significantly elevated in all 3 groups of diabetic rats in comparison with the corresponding control rats. The percentage of arachidonic acid (20:4n-6) in plasma phospholipids of the S + L and E + L groups was similar to that of the S group and did not differ between control and diabetic rats while adrenic acid (22:4n-6) and docosahexaenoic acid (22:6n-3) changed in proportion to dietary n-3 and n-6 fats content. Arachidonic acid in aorta phospholipids significantly reduced in all 3 groups of diabetic rats as compared to the corresponding control groups. Dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid (20:3n-6) and arachidonic acid in aorta phospholipids increased by the E + L treatment. These results suggest that arachidonic acid in plasma phospholipids is kept constant regardless of the presence of diabetes of non-insulin-dependent type or dietary n-3 and n-6 fats supplementation. In aorta phospholipids, arachidonic acid in diabetic animals reduced and this may be compensated by gamma-linolenic acid supplementation, which leads to increase of dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid and arachidonic acid levels.
Takahashi
R
R
Efamol Research Institute, Kentville, Nova Scotia, Canada.
Morse
N
N
Horrobin
D F
DF
D000818:Animals; D001011:Aorta / Q000378:metabolism; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000378:metabolism; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005228:Fatty Acids, Essential / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains
D004041:Dietary Fats; D005228:Fatty Acids, Essential; D010743:Phospholipids; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids