title: Effects of low-dose VOSO(4) on age-related changes in glucose homeostasis in rats.
abstract: The effects of low doses of vanadyl sulfate (0.2 mg/ml in the drinking water) on the age-related impairment of glucose homeostasis in Sprague-Dawley rats were investigated. VOSO(4) administration was initiated in 5-month-old animals and lasted 3 months. Thus, in 8-month-old rats, we investigated glucose metabolism in vivo and insulin secretory function in vitro. Results showed that VOSO(4) allowed the disposal of an oral glucose load at lower insulin levels than in age-matched controls. No significant changes were found in muscle glucose transporter (GLUT-4) levels or in glycogen content upon VOSO(4) treatment. Islets isolated from VOSO(4)-treated rats released less insulin than control islets, but showed a better preserved sensitivity to secretagogues, in terms of incremental release over basal release, secretory efficiency, and maintenance of the priming effect of glucose. In conclusion, chronic low-dose VOSO(4) treatment facilitates insulin action by a mechanism independent of muscle GLUT-4 levels and helps preserve the appropriate sensitivity of beta cells to stimuli, thereby preventing age-dependent functional alterations.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Patologia Sperimentale, Biotecnologie Mediche, Infettivologia e Epidemiologia, Università degli Studi di Pisa, Via Roma, 55-Scuola Medica, 56100, Pisa, Italy. v.detata@ipg.med.unipi.it
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: De Tata
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bergamini
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bombara
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lupi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Novelli
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Masiello
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006003:Glycogen / Q000378:metabolism; D006706:Homeostasis / Q000187:drug effects; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D000078790:Insulin Secretion; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D017968:Vanadium Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D007328:Insulin; D017968:Vanadium Compounds; C034028:vanadyl sulfate; D006003:Glycogen