Treatment of diabetes with vanadium salts: general overview and amelioration of nutritionally induced diabetes in the Psammomys obesus gerbil

Background Numerous investigations have demonstrated the beneficial effect of vanadium salts on diabetes in streptozotocin (STZ)-diabetic rats, in rod ents with genetically determined diabetes and in human subjects. The amelio ration of diabetes included the abolition of hyperglycemia, preservation of insulin secretion, reduction in hepatic glucose production, enhanced glyco lysis and lipogenesis and improved muscle glucose uptake through GLUT4 elev ation and translocation. The molecular basis of vanadium salt action is not yet Fully elucidated. Although evidence has been provided that the insulin receptor is activated, the possibility exists that cytosolic nonreceptor t yrosine kinase, direct phosphorylation of IRS-1 and activation of PI3-K, le ading to GLUT4 translocation, are involved. The raised phosphorylation of p roteins in the insulin signaling pathway appears to be related to the inhib ition of protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTPase) activity by vanadium salts.