Vanadyl Sulphate and its Regenerative and Trophic Effects on Beta Cells of Pancreas of STZ-Induced Diabetic Mellitus Rats

Vanadyl sulfate (vanadium) has insulin like activity and trophic effects on the pancreatic beta cells of experimental-induced partial diabetic mellitus rats. In this study we investigated the trophic and regenerative effects of vanadium on pancreatic beta cells in conjunction with its insulin like actions in moderate diabetic rats. Moderate diabetic hyperglycemia was induced by IV injection of 40 mg/kg streptozotocin (STZ). Diabetic animals with blood glucose levels (BG) of 500-600 mg/dl were randomly divided into three groups and treated as follows: group I (n=9), remained untreated (diabetic) whereas normoglycemia was induced in group II by daily IP injection of NPH insulin (n=11) and group III (n=10) used fluid containing 1mg/ml vanadium. Blood samples were taken at specified times during the two months of treatment by nicking the tip of the tail to measure BG. Finally the rats were deeply anesthetized and sacrificed for histological evaluation of their pancreas. BG remained high in group I (552±7mg/dl), whereas group II were euglycemic and in group III, vanadium reduced BG level to 320±33mg/dl. Comparison of histological slides obtained from the pancreases of the three groups, with the exception of group III, revealed small and scarce islets of the pancreas, whereas, in group III, vanadium increased the size and the number of these islets looking like of normal rats. Amelioration of hyperglycemia in conjunction with increases in the size and the number of beta cells of group III seems to indicate that vanadium has regenerative and trophic effects on degenerated beta cells of moderate diabetic rats, and therefore, seems to cure diabetes by improving the activity beta cells of diabetic rats when degeneration of beta cells was not complete.