Quantitative assessment of proliferative effects of oral vanadium on pancreatic islet volumes and beta cell numbers of diabetic rats

ABSTRACT

Background: Oral vanadyl sulfate [vanadium] induces normoglycemia, proliferates beta cells and prevents pancreatic islet atrophy in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Soteriological method is used to quantitate the proliferative effects of vanadium on beta-cell numbers and islet volumes of normal and diabetic rats. Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were made diabetic with intravenous streptozotocin injection [40 mg/kg]. Normal and diabetic rats were divided into four groups. While control normal and diabetic [CD] groups used water, vanadium-treated normal [VTN] and diabetic [VTD] groups used solu ons containing vanadyl sulfate [0.51 mg/mL, VOSO[4]+5H[2]O]. Tail blood samples were used to measure blood glucose [BG] and plasma insulin. Two months after treatment, rats were sacrificed, pancreata prepared, and stereology method was used to quantitatively evaluate total beta cell numbers [TBCN] and total islet volumes [TISVOL]