Diabetes Mellitus is one of the heterogeneous metabolic disorders associated with dyslipidemia, a major risk factor
contributing to cardiovascular disease. This metabolic abnormality affects virtually all organs. Over the years,
antidiabetic drugs which majorly aim at the hyperglycemic aspect of the disease have been used. Therefore, to
address this dyslipidemia, omega-3 fatty acid (O3FA) supplement was employed. Its effects on lipid metabolism in
the organs (heart, liver, kidney, pancreas, spleen and brain) of alloxan-induced (150mg/kg body weight,
intraperitoneally) diabetic male rats were investigated. O3FA (0.4g/kg b.wt/day) was administered as pre- and posttreatment
for 2 weeks. The lipid levels were significantly increased (p<0.05) in diabetic rats. O3FA administration
significantly reduced (p<0.05) the levels of cholesterol, phospholipids, triacylglycerol by varying extents, in the
examined organs without affecting hyperglycemia in the diabetic rats. The ratio of HMG CoA/mevalonate decreased
in the liver of the diabetic rats by 28% indicating increased activity of HMG-CoA reductase. This diabetes-induced
dyslipidemia was accompanied by a 28% increase in the activity of hepatic HMG-CoA reductase. Administration of
O3FA to the diabetic rats however resulted in 10% and 17% decrease in the activity of this enzyme in the pre- and
post-treated groups respectively. Also, lipid peroxidation was significantly reduced (p<0.05) by O3FA suggesting
that it has protective effect against oxidative damage. This study reveals that O3FAsupplement has beneficial effects
in attenuating dyslipidemia observed in diabetes mellitus and could be beneficial as an adjunct in the management
of diabetes mellitus
