Jihan Hussein, Yasmin Abdel Latif, Dalia Medhat, Mona El-Bana and Zakaria El-Khayat

Objective: The present study aimed to investigate how far supplementation of dietary omega-3 fatty acids could affect endothelial dysfunction and augment elevation of Asymmetric Dimethylarginine (ADMA) in experimental diabetes.

Methods: To fulfill our objective, forty male albino rats were divided into four experimental groups as follow: Control, flaxseed oil, diabetic, and treated flaxseed oil groups. After blood sample collection from all groups, plasma was used for estimation of different biochemical parameters including blood glucose and plasma insulin. The levels of liver malondialdehyde (MDA), liver superoxide dismutase (SOD) and plasma nitric oxide (NO) were determined by colorimetric methods. ADMA was estimated by HPLC using fluorescence detector.

Results: Streptozotocin (STZ) induced experimental diabetes was shown by the significant elevation in blood glucose levels, insulin resistance and oxidative stress as revealed by a significant increase in the levels of liver MDA accompanied with a significant reduction in SOD activity. In addition, STZ administration significantly elevated ADMA level. In contrast, flaxseed oil supplementation was capable of ameliorating these negative changes in STZ injected rats.

Conclusion: Dietary omega-3 fatty acids present in flaxseed oil can ameliorate endothelial dysfunction and elevation of ADMA in STZ induced diabetes. These results could be assigned to the potential antioxidant, anti-apoptotic, and anti-inflammatory effects of flaxseed oil.