VANADYL ION SUPPRESSES NITRIC-OXIDE PRODUCTION FROM PERITONEAL-MACROPHAGES OF STREPTOZOTOCIN-INDUCED DIABETIC MICE

When vanadyl ion (vanadyl sulfate) was given intraperitoneally for 6 d ays to diabetic mice induced with low doses of streptozotocin (STZ), s erum glucose levels were maintained in the normal range during vanadyl administration and serum insulin levels were partially improved. Sinc e nitric oxide (NO) production from macrophages has been proposed to m ediate the destruction of islet B-cells, we examined whether vanadyl i on contributes to the proposed mechanism and found that this metal ion suppresses NO production from peritoneal macrophages of diabetic BALB /c mice induced with low doses of STZ. From these results, we propose a new mechanism for the vanadium-dependent inhibition of NO production from macrophages, which in turn relates to the onset of diabetes. (C) 1996 Academic Press, Inc.