Lipid-lowering fibrate drugs are known to affect the synthesis of fatty acids, which may alter the prostacyclin synthesis in diabetic patients. Therefore, the serum levels of precursor fatty acids and 6-keto-prostaglandin F1alpha (6-keto PGF1alpha) were determined in ten hyperlipidemic patients with Type 2 diabetes before and after administration of gemfibrozil (900 mg/day) for 3 months, in comparison with the results in seven non-diabetic hyperlipidemic patients. Gemfibrozil significantly reduced the serum concentration of dihomo-7-linolenic acid, total cholesterol and triglycerides, but did not affect the serum levels of arachidonic acid and 6-keto PGF1alpha in diabetic and non-diabetic patients. Thus, gemfibrozil did not affect the synthesis of prostacyclin in spite of the reduction of precursor fatty acids in diabetic and non-diabetic patients.