RESUMO
After oral administration of sodium vanadate to the streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats for 12 days, the blood glucose of the diabetic rats declined from 21.5?0.7 mmol/L to near normal level, and the water intake of the rats decreased significantly but the serum insulin level did not exhibit marked difference in comparison with the untreated diabetic control nils. The increased percentage of the specific insulin binding to the adipocyte membrane decreased and approached normal range, and a significant increase in glucose transport was found in adipose cell membranes from vanadate-treated rats as copared with those from the normal and the untreated diabetic controls. The above-mentioned findings suggest that the vanadate-induced glucose transport in the tissue cells may play a pivotal role in producing insulin-mimetic effect.