promega and Diabetic-Angiopathies

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of a fish oil preparation (MaxEPA) on hemostatic function and fasting lipid and glucose levels in non-insulin-dependent diabetic (NIDDM) subjects. Eighty NIDDM outpatients aged 55.9 yr (mean SD 11.5 yr) participated in a prospective double-blind placebo-controlled study of MaxEPA capsules (10 g/day) or olive oil (control) treatment over 6 wk. Patients received either MaxEPA or olive oil in addition to preexisting therapy. Metabolic and hemostatic variables were measured before treatment and after 3 and 6 wk. Platelet membrane eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) content increased in the treatment group (P less than 0.001). MaxEPA supplementation was associated with a significant fall in total triglycerides (P less than 0.001) but did not affect total cholesterol (P = 0.7) compared with control treatment. Fasting plasma glucose increased after 3 wk (P = 0.01) but not after 6 wk (P = 0.17) treatment with MaxEPA. Spontaneous platelet aggregation in whole blood fell in the MaxEPA group (P less than 0.02) after 6 wk, but there were no changes in agonist-induced platelet aggregation, thromboxane generation in platelet-rich plasma, or plasma beta-thromboglobulin and platelet factor IV levels. An increase in clotting factor VII (P = 0.02), without changes in fibrinogen or factor X levels, occurred in the MaxEPA group. Similar reductions in blood pressure were observed in both groups. Dietary supplementation with MaxEPA capsules (10 g/day) in NIDDM subjects is associated with improvement in hypertriglyceridemia but with deleterious effects in factor VII and blood glucose levels. Most indices of platelet function are unaffected by this therapy.

Topics: Blood Glucose; Cardiovascular Diseases; Cholesterol; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2; Diabetic Angiopathies; Diet, Diabetic; Docosahexaenoic Acids; Drug Combinations; Eicosapentaenoic Acid; Fatty Acids, Omega-3; Female; Fish Oils; Food, Fortified; Hemostasis; Humans; Lipids; Male; Thromboxane B2; Triglycerides

We studied the effect of omega-3 fatty acid (omega 3FA) treatment on plasma lipids and cardiomyopathy in the diabetic rat. The omega 3FA preparation used was Promega. Male Wistar rats (250-275 g) were rendered diabetic by streptozocin (STZ; 55 mg.kg-1). Nondiabetic control rats received the vehicle alone. Two weeks after STZ or vehicle injection, control and diabetic rats were randomly assigned to either a treated or untreated group. Promega was administered at a dose of 0.5 ml.kg-1.day-1 by oral gavage for 4 wk, after which the rats were decapitated, plasma collected, and isolated working heart performance studied. Promega treatment did not affect plasma glucose, triglyceride, or cholesterol concentrations of either the control or diabetic rats. Cardiac performance was assessed by measuring the left ventricular response to changing left atrial filling pressures (7.5-20 cm H2O). The treatment had no effect on peak left ventricular developed pressure (LVDP) or maximal rate of change of left ventricular pressure during systole (+dP/dtmax) or diastole (-dP/dtmax) in the nondiabetic control rats. LVDP and +/- dP/dt were significantly improved (P less than .05) in the treated diabetic rats compared with untreated diabetic rats, although cardiac performance did not improve to the nondiabetic level. Cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) calcium transport activity was not affected by the treatment in the control rats but was significantly improved (P less than .05) in the treated diabetic rats. These data suggest that omega 3FA treatment partially blocks the development of experimental diabetic cardiomyopathy, possibly by affecting SR calcium transport activity.

Topics: Animals; Calcium; Cardiomyopathies; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental; Diabetic Angiopathies; Fatty Acids, Omega-3; Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; Heart; Lipids; Male; Myocardium; Phospholipids; Rats; Rats, Inbred Strains; Sarcoplasmic Reticulum; Streptozocin