Comparison of the fatty acid composition of the serum phospholipids of controls, prediabetics and adults with type 2 diabetes

Abstract

Objective Although abnormalities in the fatty acid composition of serum and red cell membrane phospholipids of patients with type 2 diabetes are well-documented, lacking are studies of this issue in prediabetic individuals. Materials/Methods For this cross-sectional study, we recruited 180 subjects (30–80 years), 56 of whom were normal with regard to glucose control (HbA1c, <5.7%), 61 who had prediabetes (HbA1c, 5.7%–6.4%) and 59 who had type 2 diabetes (HbA1c, >6.5%). Serum phospholipids were isolated and analyzed for fatty acids. Results Most importantly, the fatty acid compositions of the controls and prediabetic subjects were not different for 19 fatty acids. However, the fatty acid profile of the phospholipids of the patients with diabetes differed from the other two groups; the 14 to 18-carbon saturated fatty acids were decreased by 12%–26% whereas the unsaturated fatty acids 16:1n-7, 18:1n-9, 18:2n-6, 20:3n-6 and 20:4n-6 were increased by 45%–64%. Of note, the docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) status of individuals in all three study groups was remarkably low compared with international values, as indicated by DHA proportions in the 1.62%–2.07% range, and there were no differences between groups. The mean melting point of the phospholipid fatty acids of the diabetic patients (32.2°C) was significantly lower (p < 0.001) than that of the prediabetic subjects (38.1°C) and the controls (39.9°C) which were not different from each other. Conclusion These observations indicate that the fatty acid changes associated with type 2 diabetes follow the onset of the disease as opposed to being a causative factor of poor glucose control and insulin insensitivity.

Metformin Monotherapy Alters the Human Plasma Lipidome Independent of Clinical Markers of Glycemic Control and Cardiovascular Disease Risk in a Type 2 Diabetes Clinical Cohort

“…In our study, phospholipid abundance decreased with metformin treatment, indicating a change in nutritional overload. The acyl chains of phospholipids with higher degrees of unsaturation have previously reported to increase in diabetic patients by 45-64% compared to nondiabetic patients (Chuang et al, 2012). This is consistent with our findings of increased phospholipid levels in the T2D-DL group.…”

Determination of Pyruvate Metabolic Fates Modulates Head and Neck Tumorigenesis

“…The supernatants were collected for LC–MS metabolic profiling analysis. For lipid profiling, cellular lipids were extracted in methanol/chloroform (v/v = 1:2) mixture and analyzed using Gas chromatograph-flame ionization detector (GC-FID) at Yuanpei University of Medical Technology following the procedure previously described [27].…”

Angptl4 links α-cell proliferation following glucagon receptor inhibition with adipose tissue triglyceride metabolism

“…Diabetic patients display elevated levels of glucagon and a relatively low activity of insulin, leading to increased hepatic gluconeogenesis, reduced glucose uptake, and altered lipid profile (1)(2)(3)(4). At the histological level, islets of diabetic patients display an increase in the numbers of glucagon-secreting α-cells and a decrease in the number of insulin-secreting β-cells (5-7).…”