Interaction of fish oil and a glucocorticoid on metabolic responses to an oral glucose load in healthy human subjects

• Published in: British journal of nutrition 2006-02, Vol.95 (2), p.267-272
• Main Authors: Delarue, Jacques, Li, Chang-Hong, Cohen, Richard, Corporeau, Charlotte, Simon, Brigitte
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Administration, Oral; Adult; Biological and medical sciences; blood glucose; Blood Glucose - analysis; Blood Glucose - metabolism; Calorimetry; carbohydrate loading; Catheters; dexamethasone; Dexamethasone - metabolism; Diabetes; Diet; Dietary Carbohydrates - metabolism; dietary fat; Dietary Supplements; Docosahexaenoic acid; Docosahexaenoic Acids - metabolism; Eicosapentaenoic acid; Eicosapentaenoic Acid - metabolism; euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamp; Exercise; experimental diets; Fatty acids; Feeding. Feeding behavior; Female; Fish oils; Fish Oils - metabolism; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; glucocorticoids; Glucose; Glucose - administration & dosage; glycemic control; glycemic effect; human nutrition; Human subjects; Humans; hyperinsulinemia; Insulin - blood; Insulin resistance; Insulin Resistance - physiology; Ligands; Lipid Metabolism - physiology; Male; Metabolism; nutrient-nutrient interactions; Nutrition research; omega-3 fatty acids; Oxidation; Oxidation-Reduction; pharmacokinetics; Plasma; Polyunsaturated fatty acids; Stable isotopes; Veins & arteries; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems; volunteers
• ISSN: 0007-1145; 1475-2662
• DOI: 10.1079/BJN20051631

Compared with saturated fat, n-3 long-chain PUFA-rich fish oil improves insulin sensitivity in rats. We studied whether n-3 long-chain PUFA could prevent insulin resistance induced by dexamethasone (a glucocorticoid) in healthy human volunteers. A group of eight subjects was studied twice after a 2d dexamethasone treatment, before and after a 3-week supplementation with fish oil (providing daily doses of 1·1g 20:5n-3 and 0·7g 22:6n-3). The subjects were studied during the basal state and over the 6h following an oral glucose load (1g/kg). Plasma glucose fluxes were traced with [6,6-2H2]glucose and [13C]glucose (naturally 13C-enriched corn glucose). Substrate oxidation was obtained from indirect calorimetry. Following fish oil supplementation, plasma glucose fluxes and substrate oxidation were maintained despite a 17% reduction (P