THE LINOLEIC ACID DERIVATIVE DCP - LASHEDS LIGHT ON TYPE 1 DM THERAPY

The present study investigated the possibility for the linoleic acid derivative 8 - [2 - (2 - pentyl - cyclopropylmethyl) - cyclopropyl] - octanoic acid (DCP - LA) as a novel drug of diabetes mellitus (DM). DCP - LA had no effect on intracellulardistribution of the glucose transporter GLUT4 in differentiated 3T3 - L1 adipocytes. DCP - LA increased gluc ose uptake into adipocytes in a bell - shaped concentration (0.01 - - dependent manner, and the effect was not affected by the PKC inhibitor GF109203X. In the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) using type 1 DM model mice treated with streptozotocin and type 2 DM model mice (C57BL/KsJ - leprdb/leprdb mice), intraperitoneal injection with insulin reduced serum glucose levels in a dose (0.2 - 1.2 x body weight U) - dependent manner. Like insulin, oral administration with DCP - LA effectively reduced serum glucose levels in a dose (0.001 - 0.1 mg/kg) - dependent manner both in type 1 and type 2 DM model mice. Taken together, these results indicate that DCP - LA is capable ofreducing serum glucose levels by the mechanism independent of that for insulin. DCP - LA, therefore , could be developed as a novel DM drug, especially for type 1 DM.