HYPOGLYCEMIC EFFECTS OF PEROXOVANADIUM COMPOUNDS IN SPRAGUE-DAWLEY AND DIABETIC BB RATS

Highly purified peroxovanadium (pV) compounds, each containing an oxo Ligand, one or two peroxo anions, and an ancillary Ligand in the inner coordination sphere of vanadium, were shown to decrease plasma glucos e markedly in both normal Sprague-Dawley and insulin-deprived diabetic BE rats. Maximal decreases in plasma glucose were at 60-100 min after intravenous, intraperitoneal, or subcutaneous administration, Synergi sm between these compounds and insulin was observed, Whereas parentera lly administered orthovanadate or vanadyl sulfate did not induce hypog lycemia before inducing acute mortality, pV compounds effected hypogly cemia at doses much lower than those inducing acute mortality, When ad ministered subcutaneously over a period of 3 days to insulin-deprived diabetic BE rats, pV compounds, but not vanadate, caused a significant decrease in plasma glucose concentrations and prevented the appearanc e of ketosis in these animals, Thus, pV compounds are the first agents other than insulin that acutely and markedly reduce plasma glucose in hypoinsulinemic diabetic BE rats.