Essential fatty acids and the complications of diabetes mellitus

In animals and humans with diabetes mellitus there is evidence that normal metabolism of essential fatty acids is impaired. The main dietary essential fatty acids, linoleic acid of the n-6 series and alpha-linolenic acid of the n-3 series, must both be 6-desaturated and converted to further metabolites if they are to exert all their desirable effects on the body. 6-desaturation is impaired in diabetes and a lack of adequate rates of formation of the 6-desaturated metabolites may be involved in the abnormalities in membrane function, in lipid metabolism and in haemostasis and the microcirculatory system which are seen in diabetes. Attempts to overcome the block by giving very large amounts of dietary linoleic acid, or to by-pass the block by giving 6-desaturated metabolites such as gamma-linolenic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid, have both given promising results.