Biochemical and morphological alterations in rat liver golgi complexes after treatment with bis(maltolato)oxovanadium(IV) [BMOV] or maltol alone

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.