title: Indirect evidence of impairment of platelet desaturase enzymes in diabetes mellitus.
abstract: We measured the platelet total phospholipid fatty acid profiles of 20 insulin treated (Type I) diabetics, 20 non-insulin treated (Type II) diabetics and 20 matched non-diabetic controls to determine the relationship between the omega 6 and omega 3 series of fatty acids in diabetes. A significant inverse correlation between linoleic acid and arachidonic acid occurred in the normal subjects (r = -0.61; P less than 0.001) but was not seen in the Type I diabetics (r = -0.13; P = NS) or in the Type II diabetics (r = -0.27; P = NS). No significant correlation was seen between linolenic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid in the normal controls (r = -0.34; P = NS) or in the Type I diabetics (r = 0.21; P = NS) or in the Type II diabetics (r = -0.20; P = NS). The results suggest that a functional impairment of platelet delta 5 and delta 6 desaturase may occur in diabetes which disrupts the normal equilibrium between linoleic acid and arachidonic acid. However, the level of eicosapentaenoic acid appears to be less dependent on conversion from linolenic acid. Our findings are of importance to studies designed to reduce platelet aggregation in diabetics and non-diabetics by manipulation of the levels of the precursor fatty acids of thromboxane.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016718:Arachidonic Acid; D001095:Arachidonic Acids / Q000097:blood; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000201:enzymology*; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy; D015118:Eicosapentaenoic Acid / Q000097:blood; D044943:Fatty Acid Desaturases / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D019787:Linoleic Acid; D008041:Linoleic Acids / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010974:Platelet Aggregation; D013931:Thromboxanes / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D001095:Arachidonic Acids; D007328:Insulin; D008041:Linoleic Acids; D013931:Thromboxanes; D016718:Arachidonic Acid; D019787:Linoleic Acid; D015118:Eicosapentaenoic Acid; D044943:Fatty Acid Desaturases