title: Protective action of arachidonic acid against alloxan-induced cytotoxicity and diabetes mellitus.
abstract: Previous studies showed that essential fatty acid (EFA) deficiency, conjugated linoleic acid and troglitazone exert a protective effect in animal models of diabetes mellitus. Here we show that alloxan-induced in vitro cytotoxicity and apoptosis in an insulin secreting rat insulinoma, RIN, cells can be prevented by arachidonic acid (AA) and that both cyclo-oxygenase and lipoxygenase inhibitors do not block this protective action. Alloxan-induced diabetes in male Wistar rats was also prevented by oral supplementation of AA, gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). This protective action is best when the animals were pre-treated with the fatty acid. These results suggest that polyunsaturated fatty acids can prevent alloxan-induced diabetes mellitus in experimental animals and may be useful to prevent diabetes mellitus in the high-risk population.
authors.affiliation: EFA Sciences LLC, 1420 Providence Highway, Norwood, MA 02062, USA.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Suresh
authors.forename: U N
authors.initials: UN
authors.lastname: Das
mesh_terms: D000496:Alloxan / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D016718:Arachidonic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000517:prevention & control; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000494:pharmacology; D007340:Insulinoma; D008297:Male; D010088:Oxidoreductases / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; D016718:Arachidonic Acid; D000496:Alloxan; D010088:Oxidoreductases