Selectivity of the insulin-like actions of vanadate on glucose and protein metabolism in skeletal muscle.

To determine if vanadate has insulin-like actions in skeletal muscle, we measured its effects on glucose and protein metabolism in epitrochlearis muscles of rats. Compared with insulin, vanadate increased glucose uptake, glycogen synthesis and glycolysis to a lesser degree, but caused a greater stimulation of lactate and glucose oxidation. Unlike insulin, vanadate did not change either protein synthesis or degradation. These different metabolic responses could be related to the different pattern of insulin-receptor phosphorylation caused by insulin and vanadate.