Effects of dietary fatty acids on lipid metabolism in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.

We measured the activity of liver delta9- and delta6-desaturases and examined plasma and liver microsome phospholipid fatty acid composition in control and diabetic rats fed a basal diet supplemented with 5% (by weight) olive oil (OO), sunflower oil (SO), or fish oil (FO), respectively. Plasma glucose, cholesterol, triacylglyceride, and phospholipid levels were also measured. An increase in plasma and liver microsome oleic acid and a decrease in arachidonic acid were found in diabetes. In the liver, docosahexaenoic acid levels were higher in diabetic versus control rats. Diabetes increased liver delta9-desaturase in OO-fed rats and did not modify delta6-desaturase activity in OO- or SO-fed rats. Both enzymatic activities were decreased in diabetic rats fed the FO diet. As a main conclusion, it appears that diet-induced alterations in membrane composition provide a mechanism for improving the diabetic condition in animals and overcoming the effect of insulin deficiency on desaturase activities. Plasma cholesterol was not modified either by diabetes or by diet. In diabetes, OO-fed rats showed the lowest levels of triglycerides. Plasma phospholipids were significantly higher in OO-fed versus FO-fed rats. These findings suggest that OO contributes to a better control of the hypertriglyceridemia accompanying diabetes as compared with the other two diets in this rat model.