The inclusion of special polyunsaturated fatty acids in the diet may help restore the function of damaged nerves for sufferers of diabetes, research in an animal model of diabetes by a team of CSIRO nutritional scientists indicates.

The discovery was announced by Professor Richard Head, Chief of the CSIRO Division of Human Nutrition at an international nutrition conference in Barcelona recently.

"Impaired nerve function is a characteristic of diabetes and contributes to a number of complications affecting the heart and circulatory system and the gastro-intestinal system," Professor Head said.

Nerve damage in diabetics seems to result from a slow-down in the rate at which signals travel along the nervous system. This in turn is thought to be caused by constriction in the blood vessels, which reduces the blood supply to the nerves.

Professor Head, Dr Edward McMurchie and Dr Peter McLennan treated diabetic rats with gamma linolenic acid for five weeks, and found that it restored the speed and function of their damaged nerves.

Blood vessel constriction is significantly influenced by biochemical messengers called prostanoids which are made from essential polyunsaturated fatty acids (or PUFAs).

The research, which received the support of F.Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, a large pharmaceutical company, supports the view that, if the level of PUFAs in the diet were increased, the blood vessels would be expected to relax, delivering more blood to the nerves -- and so helping to prevent nerve damage caused by diabetes.

More information from Dr Edward McMurchie, CSIRO 08 298 0316 or Jan Stokes, CSIRO 08 303 8808