Cardiac cell death in early diabetes and its modulation by dietary fatty acids.
Diabetes is a significant risk factor for cardiovascular diseases with the majority of these complications being attributed to coronary vascular pathology. However, both in humans and animal models of diabetes, an additional heart muscle specific disease in the absence of any vascular pathology has also been described. Even though diverse mechanisms have been suggested to explain the etiology of this diabetic heart disease, important roles of oxidative stress and cell death have been implicated behind this disorder. Apart from hyperglycemia, cardiac lipid overload is currently believed to be responsible for oxidative stress and cell death in the diabetic heart. Although lipotoxicity is considered a major player in precipitating cardiac cell death, most of the existing work revolves around saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids. Looking at the current western diet with its preponderance of omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), more emphasis should be placed on its role in the diabetic heart. In this review, we shall highlight the most intriguing and updated findings of the differential fatty acid classes including omega-6 PUFA and their established/probable roles on diabetic myocardial cell death.
Ghosh
Sanjoy
S
Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of British Columbia, 2146 East Mall, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z3.
Rodrigues
Brian
B
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D016923:Cell Death / Q000187:drug effects; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000209:etiology*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications*; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000378:metabolism*; D005229:Fatty Acids, Monounsaturated / Q000378:metabolism; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D006943:Hyperglycemia / Q000150:complications; D009206:Myocardium / Q000166:cytology*; D018384:Oxidative Stress
D004041:Dietary Fats; D005227:Fatty Acids; D005229:Fatty Acids, Monounsaturated; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated