INOR 77 |
| In recent years, several transition metals, such as vanadium, chromium, molybdenum, tungsten, zinc, and cobalt, have been found to exert insulin-like actions in diabetes mellitus. Among these metals, the insulin-like effects of vanadium have been studied in more detail compared with other metals in both in vivo and in vitro systems. Vanadium compounds have been demonstrated to improve insulin sensitivity and glucose homeostasis in animal models of type 1 and 2 diabetes mellitus as well as in a small number of diabetic human subjects. Although the precise mechanism by which vanadium elicits its insulin-like effects is not completely clarified in animal studies, its ability to enhance glucose transport, glycogen synthesis, and lipogenesis and to inhibit lipolysis as well as gluconeogenesis has been suggested to play an important role in this process. In cellular culture studies, common evaluation of insulin-like action of vanadium includes cellular glucose uptake, enhancement of phosphorylated proteins, and lipogenesis. However, based on some in vitro and in vivo studies, several possible mechanisms that mediate the insulin-like and anti-diabetic effects of vanadium compounds with different chemical species remain poorly characterized. In order to identify the key biological responses to a series of vanadium, an important tool is the comparison of effects of vanadium compounds in vitro and in vivo. Therefore, more than one compound must be examined and evaluated in tandem in any animal model system and in cellular cultures. The objective of this presentation is to provide a brief overview of the various insulin-mimetic and anti-diabetic effects of vanadium in relation to its chemical species in diabetes mellitus. |
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Bioinorganic Chemistry of Vanadium Compounds
2:00 PM-5:40 PM, Sunday, 10 September 2006 Moscone Center -- Room 304, Oral
Division of Inorganic Chemistry |