Inflammatory Diseases and the Role of n-7 Unsaturated Fatty Acids as Functional Lipids

Abstract

With the increasing childbearing age, the number of mothers with diabetes and gestational diabetes is escalating. Maternal hyperglycemia creates an intrauterine hyperglycemic environment via the placenta, which causes signaling abnormalities in various fetal organs due to excessive glycation. This is associated with future disease development in the child. We have shown that insulin signaling defects are induced in fetal cardiomyoblasts using a rat gestational diabetes mellitus model and cellular models. Furthermore, we reported that maternal intake of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), an n-3 unsaturated fatty acid, during pregnancy can ameliorate this signaling defect. However, EPA has anti-coagulant effects, and the pollution of marine fish oil, the source for EPA supplements, raises concerns about active intake by pregnant women. Recently, palmitoleic acid, an n-7 unsaturated fatty acid, garnered attention as a candidate functional lipid alternative to EPA because it has been reported to have anti-obesity, lipid metabolism improvement, and cardioprotective effects similar to those of EPA. Palmitoleic acid has cis and trans structural isomers, which differ in their food intake route and metabolism in humans. This article introduces recent findings on the biological functions of palmitoleic acid in lifestyle-related diseases and cardiovascular diseases, ranging from basic research to clinical studies.