LOS ANGELES, Sept. 3 (Xinhua) -- A test on mice shows that taking omega-3 fatty acids may counteract inflammation that can lead to diabetes.
When obese mice were fed with omega-3 fatty acids, inflammation subsided, insulin sensitivity improved and blood glucose levels dropped significantly, said researchers at University of California in San Diego (UCSD).
Omega-3 fatty acids seem to act on a particular receptor on cells, GPR120, which, when activated, blocks inflammatory processes, the researchers noted in the study.
The GPR120 receptor is found only on pro-inflammatory macrophages in mature fat cells, according to the study appearing in the Sept. 3 issue of the journal Cell.
Exposure to omega-3 fatty acids activates the receptor, which reduces the runaway pro-inflammatory cascade.
But in obese mice that had their GPR120 receptor "knocked out" through genetic modification, omega-3 fatty acids had no effect, thus underscoring the researchers' findings, according to the study.
Chronic inflammation can lead to insulin resistance, a precursor to diabetes.
Therefore, "if we can fix the inflammation part, it's possible that we could prevent insulin resistance or even ameliorate diabetes," said study co-author Saswata Talukdar, a post-doctoral fellow at UCSD.
