One-year treatment of non-diabetic and streptozotocin-diabetic rats with vanadyl sulphate did not alter blood pressure or haematological indices.

Circulatory and haematological effects of chronic administration of vanadyl sulphate in drinking water for one year in non-diabetic and streptozotocin-diabetic rats were investigated. At various time points during the treatment period and at 13 weeks following its withdrawal, systolic blood pressure and pulse rate were measured using a tail-cuff method and some selected haematological indices, including haematocrit, haemoglobin, erythrocyte count, reticulocyte percentage, leukocyte count, platelet count, and leukocyte composition of the peripheral blood were determined using standard methods. It was found that prolonged treatment of either nondiabetic or streptozotocin-diabetic rats with vanadyl sulphate did not cause significant changes in the parameters observed but significantly alleviated the occurrence of bradycardia and the decreased leukocyte count in the peripheral blood in streptozotocin-diabetic animals. No significant changes in systolic blood pressure, pulse rate, or haematological indices were observed following the withdrawal of vanadyl sulphate, except that the previously vanadyl-treated diabetic rats were found to have higher leukocyte count, platelet count and neutrophil percentage, and lower lymphocyte percentage in their leukocyte composition. It is concluded that vanadyl sulphate does not have a hypertensive effect nor is it significantly toxic to the haemopoietic system in rats.