Abstract
We studied the incorporation of dietary n − 3 fatty acids from marine oils into red cell membranes, using animal models of type 1 diabetes (streptozotocin-treated Wistar rats) and type 2 diabetes (gold-thioglucose-injected CBA/T6 mice). In type 1 diabetic rats, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosa-hexaenoic acid (DHA) were higher following marine oil supplementation, and the increase in EPA was significantly greater than in non-diabetic animals (3.4 ± 1.4% vs. 0.8 ± 1.6%). Marine oil supplementation also resulted in higher levels of EPA and DHA in mice, but the increases were quantitatively similar with and without type 2 diabetes. Improvement in glycosylated haemoglobin following n − 3 fatty acid feeding was only found in type 2 diabetes (6.5 ± 2.9% vs. 9.5 ± 1.2%). This was associated with a higher plasma insulin concentration (170 ± 40 vs. 136 ± 41 mU/ml). The theory that n − 3 fatty acids improve insulin sensitivity would have predicted a decrease in plasma insulin levels. Our results suggest that n − 3 fatty acids may modify insulin secretion.
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