W. Dabros et al., Biochemical and morphological alterations in rat liver golgi complexes after treatment with bis(maltolato)oxovanadium(IV) [BMOV] or maltol alone, PATH RES PR, 196(8), 2000, pp. 561-568
Oral treatment with maltol or bis(maltolato)oxovanadium(IV) [BMOV] alters t
he biochemical activity of the rat liver Golgi marker enzyme, i.e., galacto
syltransferase (GalT), and the organelle morphology in a relatively short t
ime. Four groups of rats were investigated: control (C), treated with BMOV
for 2 days (pVC), treated with BMOV for 7 days (C+V), and treated with malt
ol alone for 7 days (C+M). All drugs were administered as drinking solution
s. These conditions were used, because normalization of galactosyltransfera
se activity (GalT) and morphology of rat liver Golgi complexes were previou
sly found by us in streptozotocin-induced diabetes. In this paper, we prese
nt the influence of BMOV or maltol alone las a vanadium ligand in BMOV comp
ound) on rat liver Golgi complexes. The lowest statistically significant en
zyme activity, in comparison with three other groups of rats (p < 0.01), wa
s found in rats treated with BMOV solution for two days (pVC). Liver Golgi
complexes in these rats showed relatively slight changes as compared with c
ontrols. The activity of GalT was similar to controls of the C+V and C+M gr
oups. Morphological examinations of the Golgi apparatus in rats treated wit
h vanadium salts revealed a slightly increased secretory activity. In respo
nse to various agents used in experiments, the Golgi complexes were general
ly reduced in size, except for the (C+M) group. Not only cisternae, but als
o vacuoles and associated vesicles on both sides of stacks were reduced in
almost all Golgi structures. Ultrastructural findings were generally in agr
eement (except for pVC group) with biochemical results (yields of liver Gol
gi-rich fractions, activity of galactosyltransferase) obtained in the same
rats.