Flaxseed oil prevents trans-10, cis-12-conjugated linoleic acid-induced insulin resistance in mice

Darshan S. Kelley, Madhuri Vemuri, Yuriko Adkins, Sher Himmat S. Gill, Dawn Fedor, Bruce E. Mackey
2008 British Journal of Nutrition  
Insulin resistance (IR) and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) are found in 35 and 30 % of US adults, respectively. Trans-10, cis-12-conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) has been found to cause both these disorders in several animal models. We hypothesised that IR and NAFLD caused by CLA result from n-3 fatty acid deficiency. Pathogen-free C57BL/6N female mice (aged 8 weeks; n 10) were fed either a control diet or diets containing trans-10, cis-12-CLA (0·5 %) or CLA þ flaxseed oil (FSO) (0·5 %
more » ... þ 0·5 %) for 8 weeks. Weights of livers, concentration of circulating insulin, values of homeostatic model 1 (HOMA1) for IR and HOMA1 for b cell function were higher by 160, 636, 985 and 968 % in the CLA group compared with those in the control group. FSO decreased fasting glucose by 20 % and liver weights by 37 % compared with those in the CLA group; it maintained circulating insulin, HOMA1-IR and HOMA1 for b cell function at levels found in the control group. CLA supplementation decreased n-6 and n-3 wt% concentrations of liver lipids by 57 and 73 % and increased the n-6:n-3 ratio by 58 % compared with corresponding values in the control group. FSO increased n-6 and n-3 PUFA in liver lipids by 33 and 342 % and decreased the n-6:n-3 ratio by 70 % compared with corresponding values in the CLA group. The present results suggest that some adverse effects of CLA may be due to n-3 PUFA deficiency and that these can be corrected by a concomitant increase in the intake of a-linolenic acid, 18 : 3n-3.
doi:10.1017/s0007114508027451 pmid:18710604 fatcat:yokiw74hprhgvdoldd3b4bc4sq