Diacylglycerol oil ingestion in type 2 diabetic patients with hypertriglyceridemia

Coronary arteriosclerotic heart disease frequently develops in patients with diabetes. Decreases in [corrected] serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) [corrected] concentration and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) particle size, accompanied by hypertriglyceridemia, are associated with the onset of atherosclerosis. We recently reported that hypertriglyceridemia was significantly improved in patients with type 2 diabetes who ingested diacylglycerol (DAG) oil. The effect on variables, including LDL particle size related to lipid metabolism, however, was not examined. The present study investigated the effects on these variables in more detail.

Patients with type 2 diabetes (n = 24) were assigned to receive DAG oil or triacylglycerol oil, and a 3-mo, single-blind, controlled study was performed. Patients replaced cooking oil in their daily diet with DAG or triacylglycerol oil, and anthropometry and blood sampling were performed at monthly intervals.

There were no significant differences in calorie intake or amount of test oil ingested between groups. Waist circumference and serum triacylglycerol concentrations were significantly lower and serum concentrations of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and apolipoprotein-AI were significantly higher in the DAG oil group than in the triacylglycerol oil group. Plasma plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 concentrations were significantly lower in the DAG oil group. LDL particle size tended to increase in the DAG oil group and was significantly larger in patients who had a small initial LDL particle size (<25.5 nm). There were no significant differences in variables related to glucose metabolism or in serum concentration of free fatty acids or total ketone bodies.

These results indicate that DAG oil may be useful for patients who have type 2 diabetes in the management of obesity and lipid abnormalities.