Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids, Cardiovascular Diseases, and Diabetes mellitus Type II - Indications for the Influence of Gamma-Linolenic Acids

Author(s): Berg, A., Halle, M., Keul, J.

Abstract: Polyunsaturated fatty acids regulate physiological as well as pathophysiological processes involved in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). 'Therefore, the idea of changing dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids in order to influence the incidence or progression of such diseases has gained growing attention. Many regulatory properties of polyunsaturated fatty acids are mediated via eicosanoids. In contrast to eicosanoids from the n-6 fatty acid arachidonic acid, eicosanoids from the n-3 fatty acid eicosapentaenoic acid are predominantly antiinflammatory, anti-aggregatory and vasodilatative. Since these resulls were known, nutritional or therapeutic interventions with polyunsaturated fatty acids in cardiovascular or inflammatory diseases were mainly carried out with eicosapentainoic acid. On the other hand, also the n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids gamma-Iinolenic acid and dihomogamma-Iinolenic acid are primarily designated to have health benefits; they give rise to prostaglandin E, (PGEI) which also has anti-inflammatory, anti-aggregatory and vasodilatative properties. Increasing the amount of dietary gamma-Iinolenic acid has been associated with beneficial alterations of major risk factors for CVD or diabetes mellitus such as dyslipoproteinemia, hypertension, peripheral insulin sensitivity and long-term diabetic complications. In these patients, low levels of gamma-Iinolenic acid or dihomo-gamma-Iinolenic acid and thus PGE, are primarily due to a reduced activity of the chain elongation enzyme delta-6-desaturase which is responsible for the formation of gamma-Iinolenic acid from linoleic acid. lt is therefore comprehensible that in these diseases, showing initially low levels of gamma-Iinolenic acid, increasing gamma-Iinolenic values will have a beneficial effect. Although future investigations are necessary, the present knowledge about gamma-Iinolenic acid and PGE, justifies an increased consideration when strategies for improving health via polyunsaturated fatty acids are elaborated.

Keyword(s): Mehrfach ungesättigte Fettsäuren

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