Chelation therapy and vanadium: effect on reproductive organs in rats.

Present investigation was planned to evaluate the therapeutic effectiveness of chelating agents against vanadium intoxication on blood and reproductive organs of rats. Male and female albino rats were injected vanadyl sulphate (7.5 mg/kg, po, for 21 days, 5 days in a week). Chelating agents tiron (T) alone and in combination with lipoic acid (LA), vitamin E (vit E) and selenium (Se) were given for 2 days/week. With the administration of vanadyl sulphate to rats fructose level in seminal vesicles was significantly (P< or =0.05) declined. The activities of alkaline phosphatase and adenosine triphosphatase were also decreased, whereas glycogen content and acid phosphatase activity increased in testis, seminal vesicles, ovaries and uterus after toxicant exposure. Significant changes in serum transaminases, serum alkaline phosphatase and lactate dehydrogenase were recouped by chelation therapy. Lipid peroxidation, reduced glutathione level and triglycerides levels altered significantly after exposure to vanadium in rats. The ultrastructural damage in spermatogenic stages in treated animals showed recovery pattern after therapy. Co-treatment with antioxidants restored these activities. The most effective combination was tiron + selenium followed by tiron + vitamin E, and tiron + lipoic acid.

El vanadio, un elemento ambiguo / Vanadium, an ambiguous element

El vanadio (V) se encuentra en 68 minerales diferentes, en los combustibles derivados del petróleo y el carbón y se utiliza principalmente en la industria metalúrgica. Para los humanos, la principal fuente de exposición al V es la contaminación atmosférica producida por la quema de combustibles. En los animales se ha demostrado que algunos compuestos del V son hepatotóxicos, nefrotóxicos, neurotóxicos, carcinogénicos y que afectan a la reproducción y al desarrollo de los fetos y lactantes. Sin embargo, los efectos toxicológicos finales, motivo de preocupación para las personas son la genotoxicidad y la irritación de las vías respiratorias. Por otra parte, los compuestos del V han sido objeto de investigación como agentes que disminuyen los niveles séricos de glucosa, como antihipertensivos, como anorexígenos y como anticancerígenos. El V, de efectos biológicos notables, debe ser más estudiado con el fin de conocer los mecanismos de su acción biológica y para poder determinar tanto los riesgos a su exposición como sus posibles usos farmacológicos en beneficio humano.

Vanadium (V) occurs in about 68 minerals and in fossil fuels and it is mainly used in steel industry. Air pollution produced by oil and coal burning is the main exposure source for human beings. Reproductive and developmental toxicity, hepatotoxicity, nephrotoxicity, neurotoxicity and carcinogenicity have been found in some vanadium compound exposed animals. Nevertheless, the toxicological end-points of concern for humans are genotoxicity and respiratory tract irritation. On the other hand, V compounds have been studied as anti-diabetic, as antihypertensive, as anorexigen and as anti-carcinogenic. V, which has remarkable biological effects should be studied in order to elucidate its biological mechanisms and to determine either its expositional risks or its pharmacological properties for human benefit.

Determination of vanadium accumulation in onion root cells (Allium cepa L) and its correlation with toxicity

The vanadium is a metal that presents great interest from the toxicological point of view, because of the numerous alterations that can take place in different biological systems. This work evaluated the capacity of vanadium accumulation and its correlation with genotoxic effects in root cells of Allium cepa L. The bulbs were cultivated in renovated filtered water each 24 h, at a temperature of 25 +/- 0.5 degrees C, in darkness and constant aeration. Treatments were carried out under the same experimental conditions, using water solutions of vanadium of 25, 50, 75 and 100 microg/g for 0, 12, 24, 48 and 72 h. A control was carried out where metal solution was substituted by distilled water. After the treatment, the meristems were fixed with alcohol--acetic acid (3:1) and stained according to the technique of Feulge n. The capacity of accumulation was determined by GFAAS. The analysis of the results revealed an accumulation of the metal for all times and concentrations. No correlation was presented among vanadium accumulation, growth and mitotic index; however, positive correlation was given with the induction of chromosomic aberrations. In conclusion, vanadium is able to induce cytotoxic effect in the exposed roots, but only genotoxic effect was correlated with metal accumulation.

Hazard assessment of vanadium to oreochronies Niloticus Fish, [Tilipia Fish] present in the river Nile and some clinicopathological studies

The effect of dietary carbohydrates and vanadium toxicity on hematological profile, blood chemistry and hormonal level was studied in Tilapia nilotica. There is a significant decrease in hemoglobin and PCV in group 3. There is a significant increase in serum cortisol, cholesterol, AST, ALT, urea, creatinine and alkaline phosphatase in group 3, also there is a significant decrease in serum phosphorus, sodium and potassium in treated fish. There is a significant high level of vanadium content in kidney muscles, heart and spleen in group 3 suggesting a variety toxic effects of vanadium on Tilipia nilotica, the total viable count of bacteria identified higher in fish fed carbohydrate vandium. Predominate bacteria were identified as Aerumonas E.coli, Staph. aureus, Pseudomonas, Fluorscences and Lacto bacillus sp. It emphasizes the finding that increase in carbohydrate concentration causes harmful pathological effects which the reduces humoral immune responses and enhances dietary vanadium toxicity

Valency [state of oxidation], a modulator for the toxicity of vanadium or chromium to streptomyces caeruleus

The results showed that the cationic form of either vanadium or chromium was less deleterious to dry weight gain by Streptomyces caeruleus than the anionic form. Whether cationic or anionic, chromium [at 10-4, 10-6 M] was more toxic than vanadium. The control samples almost completely hydrolyzed the starch content of the prevailing medium. V[V]+ or Cr[VI]+ induced the same hydrolyzing capacity when administered at their highest concentration but V[IV]+ or Cr[III]+ were less effective. Per unit biomass, 10-4 M of the four salts substantially increased the amount of hydrolyzed starch, V[V]+ and Cr[VI]+ were equally higher in efficacy than V[IV]+ and Cr[III]+. V[IV]+ at 10-6 - 10-5 M, remarkably increased the percentage utilization of starch in biomass yield. The same range of concentration of V[V]+ seemed without effect, whereas those of Cr[III]+ or Cr[VI]+ were almost equally suppressive. The antibiotic produced by S. caeruleus was highly potent against Erwinia carotovora var. Carotovora, Escherichia coli, Proteus vulgaris, Pseudomonas lachrymans, Bacillus subtilis, B. licheniformis, Mirococcus luteus. Addition of either forms of vanadium [at 10-6M] totally abolished the original antibiotic activity of the organism. The same level of Cr[VI]+ was less deleterious

Valoración catalítica de vanadio en orina y en agua mineral / Catalytic valoration of vanadium in urine and mineral water

Se ha considerado el efecto del vanadio en diferentes metabolismos del organismo humano y debido a la importancia de ese efecto se ha estudiado la determinación cuantitativa de trazas de vanadio. El método empleado fue el de oxidación de Mordant Blue 9 con KBrO3 a pH 2 en medio de HClO4 en la que el vanadio actúa como catalizador. La reacción se sigue espectrofotométricamente a 510 mm en celdas de 10 mm y a una temperatura de 25 ñ 0,2§C. Se demostró que esta reacción puede aplicarse al análisis de vanadio en orina, utilizandose el método de las tangentes con la técnica del agregado patrón múltiple en el ámbito de 10-100 ng/mL, sin tratamiento previo de la muestra. Para concentraciones entre 0,5 y 10 ng/mL, la orina es sometida a evaporación y calcinación, tomándose el residuo con agua bidestilada y efectuándose la determinación a través de una curva de calibración. Por otra parte, se analizan aguas minerales de distinta procedencia, encontrándose buena concordancia entre los valores de concentración obtenidos por el método cinético (curva de calibración y agregado patrón) y los hallados por espectrometría de absorción atómica con atomización electrotérmica. Los resultados fueron procesados estadísticamente