Role of nutritional factors at the early life stages in the pathogenesis and clinical course of type 1 diabetes

Abstract

Nutrition has been suggested as an important environmental factor other than viruses and chemicals in the pathogenesis of type 1 diabetes (T1D). Whereas various maternal dietary nutritional elements have been suggested and examined in T1D of both humans and experimental animals, the results largely remain controversial. In a series of studies using T1D model nonobese diabetic (NOD) mice, maternal dietary n-6/n-3 essential fatty acid ratio during pregnancy and lactation period, that is, early life stages of the offspring, has been shown to affect pathogenesis of insulitis and strongly prevent overt T1D of the offspring, which is consistent with its preventive effects on other allergic diseases.

Figure 1

Mechanism on the development of type 1 diabetes (modified from [38, 63]).

Figure 2

Life stages of NOD mice Type 1 diabetes results from insulin deficiency, mostly due to the autoimmune-mediated destruction of the insulin-producing pancreatic islet β cells (insulitis) (modified from [64]).

Figure 3

Levels of insulitis (a) and serum insulin autoantibody (IAA) levels (b) in the offspring at different ages (modified from [38]).

Figure 4

Effects of combination of n-3(n) and low n-3(L) chows on the onset and incidence of overt diabetes in NOD mice [38, 63].