New research reveals that both pregnant women with diabetes and those with type 2 diabetes have high levels of a fat metabolite that impairs pancreatic cells from secreting insulin. The findings, which are published in the Cell Press journal Cell Metabolism, suggest that blocking the effects of this fat metabolite may help prevent and treat diabetes.

The research team found that the blood of both gestational and type 2 diabetic patients contained a remarkable number of changed metabolites, including sugars, amino acids, and fats, compared with samples from non-diabetic controls. They discovered a 7-fold elevation of the furan fatty acid metabolite 3-carboxy-4-methyl-5-propyl-2-furanopropanoic acid (CMPF) in plasma of women with GDM and showed that CMPF directly induces β cell dysfunction. It was also revealed that CMPF enters a beta cell through organic anion transporter 3 (OAT3), and once inside the cell, it causes oxidative stress and other negative effects. The researchers also found that the effects of CMPF could be prevented through either blocking the transport of CMPF into insulin-producing beta cells or treatment with antioxidants.

"Based on our findings we believe that CMPF and its transporter OAT3 represent novel targets for prevention and treatment of diabetes," says first author Kacey Prentice. "If we can reduce levels of CMPF in the blood, or prevent CMPF from entering the beta cell through blockage of OAT3, we believe that we can preserve beta cell function and prevent the beta cell failure that ultimately causes diabetes."