title: Dietary essential fatty acid supplementation, urinary calcium excretion and reproductive performance in the diabetic pregnant rat.
abstract: Hypercalciuria may be a contributory factor to the disturbed calcium homoeostasis seen in diabetic pregnant rats and their offspring. In diabetes, essential fatty acid metabolism is impaired. We have therefore investigated whether feeding a diet supplemented with essential fatty acids will ameliorate the hypercalciuria of diabetic pregnancy and improve reproductive performance. Female rats were fed a standard rat diet, a fat-free diet plus evening primrose oil or a fat-free diet plus sunflower oil. They were injected with streptozotocin or vehicle and mated. Urine samples were analysed for calcium before injection and during gestation. Term-pregnant diabetic rats fed evening primrose oil showed a 73% reduction in urinary calcium output compared with similar rats fed standard diet (P < 0.001). The corresponding reduction was 44% in diabetic rats fed sunflower oil (P < 0.001). A depletion of essential fatty acids in diabetes may therefore be associated with hypercalciuria; dietary supplementation, particularly with evening primrose oil, appears to correct the problem. Diabetic pregnant rats fed evening primrose oil showed a significantly greater live fetal mass (85 +/- 2 vs 33 +/- 12 g; P < 0.05) compared with similar rats fed standard diet. Such findings may imply a normalization of placental transport by essential fatty acids. Rats fed evening primrose, but not sunflower oil, also showed a reduced incidence of diabetes after streptozotocin injection compared with rats fed standard diet (63 vs 86%). Rats fed on evening primrose oil that did become diabetic were less hyperglycaemic than those on the standard diet (29 +/- 2 vs 37 +/- 2 mmol/l), suggesting that the oil may have anti-diabetic properties.
authors.affiliation: School of Biological Sciences, University of Manchester, UK.
authors.forename: H O
authors.initials: HO
authors.lastname: Garland
authors.forename: A G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Forshaw
authors.forename: C P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Sibley
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D002118:Calcium / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine*; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine*; D004042:Dietary Fats, Unsaturated / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005314:Embryonic and Fetal Development; D005228:Fatty Acids, Essential / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D006368:Helianthus; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008041:Linoleic Acids; D031665:Oenothera biennis; D010938:Plant Oils / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011247:Pregnancy; D011254:Pregnancy in Diabetics / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012964:Sodium / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine; D000074242:Sunflower Oil; D017965:gamma-Linolenic Acid
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D004042:Dietary Fats, Unsaturated; D005228:Fatty Acids, Essential; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents; D008041:Linoleic Acids; D010938:Plant Oils; D000074242:Sunflower Oil; C028498:evening primrose oil; D017965:gamma-Linolenic Acid; D012964:Sodium; D002118:Calcium