Influence of a cod liver oil diet in healthy and insulin-dependent diabetic volunteers on fatty acid pattern, inhibition of prostacyclin formation by low density lipoprotein (LDL) and platelet thromboxane.

Ten healthy and twenty diabetic volunteers (type 1) received 15 capsules (à 450 mg) cod liver oil for 2 weeks daily in addition to a "normal" diet. The levels of eicosapentaenoic acid in the plasma phospholipids of both groups were increased after the treatment. The inhibition of the prostacyclin formation by LDL was diminished when the LDL was isolated after the treatment in comparison to LDL taken in the same concentration and from the same donors before it.

[Sex-specific differences in food intake, body weight and parameters of lipid metabolism (HDL-cholesterol, total cholesterol and triglycerides) in rats under various feeding conditions].

We compared the food intake, body weight as well as several parameters of the lipid metabolism in male and female rats fed with a diet high in carbohydrate content (HCD) or high in fat content (HFD). The absolute food intake was higher in male than in female animals. With regard to the relative food intake (per 1 000 g body weight), the sex-specific differences could be demonstrated only in the HCD rats.

Thromboxane B2 (TXB2) formation in clotting whole blood of healthy and diabetic humans in vitro.

We investigated the ability of platelets from two groups of diabetics type I and two groups of healthy volunteers matched of age to generate thromboxane B2 (TXB2) during spontaneous clotting of whole blood. The serum concentration of TXB2, reflecting the ability of the platelets to generate TXA2 during clotting, was measured by gas liquid chromatography. Platelets from old diabetics with more than 40 years duration of diabetes mellitus formed significantly less TXB2 than those from old healthy controls.