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Research: COSTE and co-workers,
Listed in Issue 97
Abstract
COSTE and co-workers, UPRES EA 2193, Faculte de Medecine Timone, Marseille, France, Thierry.Coste@medecine.univ-mrs.fr, describe a neuroprotective effect of docosahexaenoic acid-enriched phospholipids in diabetic neuropathy in rats.
Background
A deficiency in essential fatty acid metabolism has been widely observed in human and animal diabetes. Supplements containing both n-3 fatty acids docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) are less effective on diabetic neuropathy than n-6 fatty acids. This could be due to the competition between EPA and arachidonic acid which is decreased in diabetes. In order to test this hypothesis, this study investigated the effect of supplementing only DHA.
Methodology
Diabetic rats were given daily liposomes containing DHA at a dose of 60 mg/kg. After eight weeks, control rats that were not given the liposomes had significantly lowered nerve conduction velocity, nerve blood flow, and sciatic nerve and red blood cell Na,K-ATPase activities, all markers of neuropathy, due to the diabetes. The supplemented rats did not have the lowered nerve conduction velocity or the lowered nerve blood flow. Na,K-ATPase activities were normal in red blood cells and lowered only in sciatic nerve.
Results
Conclusion
Coste TC, Gerbi A, Vague P, Pieroni G, Raccah D. Neuroprotective effect of docosahexaenoid acid-enriched phospholipids in experimental diabetic neuropathy. Diabetes 52 (10): 2578-2585, Oct 2003.
References
The study demonstrates the neuroprotective effect of DHA in diabetes-induced neuropathy in rats. Treatment with DHA of human diabetics could be suitable for evaluation in clinical trials.
