Protective action of arachidonic acid against alloxan induced cytotoxicityand diabetes mellitus

Previous studies showed that essential fatty acid (EFA) deficiency, conjuga ted linoleic acid and troglitazone exert a protective effect in animal mode ls of diabetes mellitus. Here we show that alloxan-induced in vitro cytotox icity and apoptosis in an insulin secreting rat insulinoma RIN, cells can b e prevented by arachidonic acid (AA) and that both cyclo-oxygenase and lipo xygenase inhibitors do not block this protective action. Alloxan-induced di abetes in male Wistar rats was also prevented by oral supplementation of AA , gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaeno ic acid (DHA). This protective action is best when the animals were pre-tre ated with the fatty acid. These results suggest that polyunsaturated fatty acids can prevent alloxan-induced diabetes mellitus in experimental animals and may be useful to prevent diabetes mellitus in the high-risk population . (C) 2001 Harcourt Publishers Ltd.