Oral administration of vanadate normalizes blood glucose levels in streptozotocin-treated rats. Characterization and mode of action.

The effect of oral administration of vanadate, in normalizing blood glucose levels of streptozotocin-treated rats (ST-rats), is further characterized and its mode of action is determined. We have examined the effects of two orally administered doses of sodium metavanadate. High concentrations of orally administered vanadate (0.8 mg/ml in drinking water) reduced blood glucose levels within 2-4 days of application and led to the appearance of hypoglycemia in test animals. Lower concentrations of vanadate (0.2 mg/ml in drinking water) also lowered blood glucose levels within 4 days, but did not lead to hypoglycemia for at least 3 weeks. These effects of vanadate were found to be reversible; hyperglycemia recurred within 2 days after removal of vanadate from the drinking water. In streptozotocin-treated rats receiving low vanadate treatment, circulating levels of vanadate were about 0.8 microgram/ml after 3 weeks of treatment. These rats became anabolic, while rats receiving high vanadate treatment remained catabolic. Subsequent to vanadate treatment, adipocytes derived from ST-rats responded to lower insulin concentrations. In addition, vanadate treatment lowered the increased insulin binding capacity of liver plasma membranes derived from ST-rats. Insulin binding capacity under these conditions approached that of control non-ST-rats. Basal rates of hexose uptake in muscle and liver tissues were doubled in vanadate-treated ST-rats. It is concluded that the oral administration of vanadate leads to normoglycemia by stimulating glucose uptake. Treatment with "low vanadate" leads to the formation of a stable anabolic and normoglycemic state in ST-rats and appears to restore insulin responsiveness of target tissues, without apparent signs of toxicity. Vanadate treatment did not impair either kidney or liver function, as assayed by the measurement of serum urea, creatinine, and glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase.