Regulatory Effects of N-3 PUFAs on Pancreatic β-cells and Insulin-sensitive Tissues

The N-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) have a wide range of health benefits, including antiinflammatory effects, improvements in lipids metabolism and promoting insulin secretion, as well as reduction of cancer risk. Numerous studies support that N-3 PUFAs have the potentials to improve many metabolic diseases, such as diabetes, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and obesity, which are attributable to N-3 PUFAs mediated enhancement of insulin secretion by pancreatic β-cells and improvements in insulin sensitivity and metabolic disorders in peripheral insulin-sensitive tissues such as liver, muscles, and adipose tissue. In this review, we summarized the up-to-date clinical and basic studies on the regulatory effects and molecular mechanisms of N-3 PUFAs mediated benefits on pancreatic β-cells, adipose tissue, liver, and muscles in the context of glucose and/or lipid metabolic disorders. We also discussed the potential factors involved in the inconsistent results from different clinical researches of N-3 PUFAs.