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Fatty acids and insulin secretion

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 March 2007

Valdemar Grill  and
Elisabeth Qvigstad
Valdemar Grill*
Affiliation:
Department of Internal Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
Elisabeth Qvigstad
Affiliation:
Department of Internal Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
*
*Corresponding author: Department of Medicine, University Hospital of Trondheim, Trondheim, N-7006 Norway, fax +47 73 86 75 46, email valdemar.grill@medisin.ntnu.no
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Abstract

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It has long been recognized that acute elevation of non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) stimulates insulin secretion to a moderate extent both in vitro and in vivo. The effects of longer-term exposure to elevated fatty acids have, however, been investigated only recently. Our own studies in the rat have documented the time dependence of NEFA effects, with inhibition of glucose-induced insulin secretion being apparent after 6–24 h in vivo exposure to Intralipid or in vitro exposure to palmitate, oleate and octanoate. Evidence indicates that the inhibitory effects are coupled to fatty acid oxidation in B-cells, with ensuing reduction in glucose oxidation, in parallel with diminished activity of the pyruvate dehydrogenase enzyme. These findings were essentially confirmed in human pancreatic islets. In the db/db mouse, a model of type 2 diabetes with obesity, evidence was obtained for elevated NEFA playing a significant role in decreased glucose-induced insulin secretion. Evidence also indicates that elevated NEFA inhibit insulin biosynthesis and increase the proinsulin : insulin ratio of secretion. Results on experimentally induced elevations of NEFA in non-diabetic and diabetic humans are thus far inconclusive. Further studies are needed to ascertain the impact of elevated NEFA on insulin secretion in clinical settings.

Keywords

Islets of LangerhansDiabetes mellitusFatty acidsInsulin secretion
Type
Research Article
Information
British Journal of Nutrition , Volume 83 , Issue S1 , June 2000 , pp. S79 - S84
Copyright
Copyright © The Nutrition Society 2000

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