Omega-3-Fatty Acids Hold Therapeutic Potential for the Prevention and Treatment of Diabetic Neuropathy

Diabetic neuropathy is a debilitating complication of diabetes, affecting over 50% of diabetic patients. Overweight humans display manifestations of diabetic neuropathy before developing overt diabetes and mice fed a high fat diet exhibit signs of neuropathy including mechanical hindpaw hypersensitivity and neuronal inflammation, suggesting fat diet-induced inflammation may play a role in the development of neuropathy. Omega-3 (n-3) fatty acids have anti-inflammatory properties and may hold therapeutic potential as a preventative treatment for prediabetic and diabetic patients at risk for neuropathy. PURPOSE: Investigate the impact of diet composition on signs of neuropathy. We hypothesized that a diet rich in n-3 fatty acids would attenuate hindpaw hypersensitivity during prolonged feeding of a high fat diet. METHODS: C57BL/6 mice were randomized into four diet groups (n = 12/group) for 32 weeks: 10% low fat-fish oil (LFFO), 41% high fat-fish oil (HFFO), 10% low fat-lard (LFL), or 41% high fat-lard (HFL). Neuropathy was characterized at baseline and every other week thereafter using the von Frey behavioral test for hindpaw mechanical sensitivity. A glucose tolerance test was performed at end study, and total area under the curve (AUC) was calculated using the trapezoidal method. RESULTS: At end study, body weight was greater in HFL compared to all other groups. Body weight was also greater in HFFO compared to LFFO. Fasting glucose and glucose AUC were higher in HFL compared to LFFO and HFFO. Following the same pattern as body weight, fasting glucose was higher in HFFO compared to LFFO. Although percent paw withdrawal was greater in HFL compared to HFFO and LFFO, there were no significant differences for LF vs. HF for fish oil or lard. CONCLUSION: A HFL diet induced signs of neuropathy including hindpaw hypersensitivity, whereas a fish oil diet was protective against hindpaw hypersensitivity. Moreover, omega-3-fatty acids may hold therapeutic potential for neuropathy prevention in nondiabetic and diabetic patients

Collegiate Male Athletes Exhibit Conditions of the Male Athlete Triad

The primary purpose of this study was to determine prevalence of the Male Athlete Triad (MAT) conditions: low energy availability (EA), low bone mineral density (BMD), and low testosterone in male collegiate athletes from different sports. Participants included 44 collegiate male athletes (age, 20.4 0.2 yr; BMI, 25.3 1.3 kg/m2) from seven sports (cross country, soccer, basketball, wrestling, track, golf, and baseball). Resting metabolic rate, three-day food intake, seven-day exercise energy expenditure, body composition, and reproductive and metabolic hormones were assessed. Of the total participants, 15% had low EA, 0% had low BMD, 28% had low total testosterone (TT), and 80% had low calculated free testosterone (cFT). There were no significant correlations between EA, BMD, TT, and cFT. Insulin and sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) were below and on the upper end of the reference range for healthy male adults, respectively. Insulin was negatively correlated with total (r = -0.330, p = 0.043) and lumbar spine BMD z-scores (r = -0.413, p = 0.010). Low TT and low cFT were the most prevalent MAT conditions among all athletes. Further research should investigate the relationship between insulin and SHBG and the role of these hormones in the MAT. Novelty Bullets • Assessment of energy availability alone is not sufficient to identify physiological disturbances in collegiate male athletes. • Low total and/or free testosterone may be present in some collegiate male athletes, regardless of BMD status. • Low insulin and high SHBG concentration may portray the presence of conditions of the MAT in male collegiate athletes.The accepted manuscript in pdf format is listed with the files at the bottom of this page. The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the manuscript may differ slightly between what is listed on this page and what is listed in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript; that in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript is what was submitted by the author