Effects of intravenous perilla oil emulsion on nutritional status, polyunsaturated fatty acid composition of tissue phospholipids, and thromboxane A2 production in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.

The effects of a perilla oil (PO) emulsion rich in alpha-linolenic acid, administered by intravenous infusion, on nutritional status, fatty acid composition, and thromboxane A2 production were compared with those of a soybean oil (SO) emulsion in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats given a fat-free diet for 7 days. The PO emulsion improved body weight gain and nitrogen balance compared with the SO emulsion and reduced thromboxane A2 production by platelets. The PO emulsion also increased the proportion of eicosapentaenoic acid, but decreased that of arachidonic acid, in liver and serum phospholipids. Plasma insulin concentrations and blood biochemical indices were similar in the two groups. An intravenously infused PO emulsion effectively reduces thromboxane A2 production through changes in the fatty acid composition of liver and serum phospholipids, as with oral administration, and improves the nutritional status of diabetic rats.