Title:Regulatory Effects of N-3 PUFAs on Pancreatic β-cells and Insulin-sensitive Tissues
Volume: 22
Issue: 13
Author(s): Wen Liu, Qing Zheng, Min Zhu, Xiaohong Liu, Jingping Liu, Yanrong Lu, Jingqiu Cheng and Younan Chen*
Affiliation:
- Key Laboratory of Transplant Engineering and Immunology, NHFPC; Regenerative Medicine Research Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu,China
Keywords:
Fatty acids, omega-3, diabetes mellitus, type 2, insulin secreting cells, insulin, liver, adipose tissue, muscles.
Abstract: The N-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) have a wide range of health benefits, including antiinflammatory
effects, improvements in lipids metabolism and promoting insulin secretion, as well as reduction of
cancer risk. Numerous studies support that N-3 PUFAs have the potentials to improve many metabolic diseases, such
as diabetes, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and obesity, which are attributable to N-3 PUFAs mediated enhancement
of insulin secretion by pancreatic β-cells and improvements in insulin sensitivity and metabolic disorders in peripheral
insulin-sensitive tissues such as liver, muscles, and adipose tissue. In this review, we summarized the up-to-date
clinical and basic studies on the regulatory effects and molecular mechanisms of N-3 PUFAs mediated benefits on
pancreatic β-cells, adipose tissue, liver, and muscles in the context of glucose and/or lipid metabolic disorders. We
also discussed the potential factors involved in the inconsistent results from different clinical researches of N-3 PUFAs.