Erythrocyte n-6 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids, Gut Microbiota, and Incident Type 2 Diabetes: A Prospective Cohort Study

• Published in: Diabetes care Vol. 43; no. 10; pp. 2435 - 2443
• Main Authors: Miao, Zelei, Lin, Jie-sheng, Mao, Yingying, Chen, Geng-dong, Zeng, Fang-fang, Dong, Hong-li, Jiang, Zengliang, Wang, Jiali, Xiao, Congmei, Shuai, Menglei, Gou, Wanglong, Fu, Yuanqing, Imamura, Fumiaki, Chen, Yu-ming, Zheng, Ju-Sheng
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Diabetes Association 01.10.2020
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Arachidonic acid; Arachidonic Acid - blood; Biomarkers; Biomarkers - blood; China - epidemiology; Cohort analysis; Diabetes; Diabetes mellitus; Diabetes mellitus (non-insulin dependent); Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - blood; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - epidemiology; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - microbiology; Epidemiology/Health Services Research; Erythrocytes; Erythrocytes - chemistry; Erythrocytes - metabolism; Etiology; Fatty acids; Fatty Acids, Omega-6 - analysis; Fatty Acids, Omega-6 - blood; Fatty Acids, Unsaturated - analysis; Fatty Acids, Unsaturated - blood; Female; g-linolenic acid; Gastrointestinal Microbiome - physiology; Gut microbiota; Health risks; Humans; Incidence; Linolenic acid; Male; Metabolism; Microbiota; Microorganisms; Middle Aged; Nutrition; Polyunsaturated fatty acids; Prospective Studies; Research design; rRNA 16S; China
• ISSN: 0149-5992; 1935-5548; 1935-5548
• DOI: 10.2337/dc20-0631

To examine the association of erythrocyte n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) biomarkers with incident type 2 diabetes and explore the potential role of gut microbiota in the association. We evaluated 2,731 participants without type 2 diabetes recruited between 2008 and 2013 in the Guangzhou Nutrition and Health Study (Guangzhou, China). Case subjects with type 2 diabetes were identified with clinical and biochemical information collected at follow-up visits. Using stool samples collected during the follow-up in the subset ( = 1,591), 16S rRNA profiling was conducted. Using multivariable-adjusted Poisson or linear regression, we examined associations of erythrocyte n-6 PUFA biomarkers with incident type 2 diabetes and diversity and composition of gut microbiota. Over 6.2 years of follow-up, 276 case subjects with type 2 diabetes were identified (risk 0.10). Higher levels of erythrocyte γ-linolenic acid (GLA), but not linoleic or arachidonic acid, were associated with higher type 2 diabetes incidence. Comparing the top to the bottom quartile groups of GLA levels, relative risk was 1.72 (95% CI 1.21, 2.44) adjusted for potential confounders. Baseline GLA was inversely associated with gut microbial richness and diversity (α-diversity, both < 0.05) during follow-up and significantly associated with microbiota β-diversity ( = 0.002). α-Diversity acted as a potential mediator in the association between GLA and type 2 diabetes ( < 0.05). Seven genera ( , , , , , , and ) were enriched in quartile 1 of GLA and in participants without type 2 diabetes. Relative concentrations of erythrocyte GLA were positively associated with incident type 2 diabetes in a Chinese population and also with gut microbial profiles. These results highlight that gut microbiota may play an important role linking n-6 PUFA metabolism and type 2 diabetes etiology.