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Efficacy of lower doses of vanadium in restoring altered glucose metabolism and antioxidant status in diabetic rat lenses

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Abstract

Vanadium compounds are potent in controlling elevated blood glucose levels in experimentally induced diabetes. However the toxicity associated with vanadium limits its role as therapeutic agent for diabetic treatment. A vanadium compound sodium orthovanadate (SOV) was given to alloxan-induced diabetic Wistar rats in lower doses in combination withTrigonella foenum graecum, a well-known hypoglycemic agent used in traditional Indian medicines. The effect of this combination was studied on lens morphology and glucose metabolism in diabetic rats. Lens, an insulin-independent tissue, was found severely affected in diabetes showing visual signs of cataract. Alterations in the activities of glucose metabolizing enzymes (hexokinase, aldose reductase, sorbitol dehydrogenase, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase) and antioxidant enzymes (glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase) besides the levels of related metabolites, [sorbitol, fructose, glucose, thiobarbituric acid reactive species (TBARS) and reduced glutathione (GSH)]were observed in the lenses from diabetic rats and diabetic rats treated with insulin (2 IU/day), SOV (0.6 mg/ml),T. f. graecum seed powder (TSP, 5%) and TSP (5%) in combination with lowered dose of vanadium SOV (0.2 mg/ml), for a period of 3 weeks. The activity of the enzymes, hexokinase, aldose reductase and sorbitol dehydrogenase was significantly increased whereas the activity of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase decreased significantly in lenses from 3 week diabetic rats. Significant increase in accumulation of metabolites, sorbitol, fructose, glucose was found in diabetic lenses. TBARS measure of peroxidation increased whereas the levels of antioxidant GSH decreased significantly in diabetic condition. Insulin restored the levels of altered enzyme activities and metabolites almost to control levels. Sodium orthovanadate (0.6 mg/ml) andTrigonella administered separately to diabetic animals could partially reverse the diabetic changes, metabolic and morphological, while vanadate in lowered dose in combination withTrigonella was found to be the most effective in restoring the altered lens metabolism and morphological appearance in diabetes. It may be concluded that vanadate at lowered doses administered in combination withTrigonella was the most effective in controlling the altered glucose metabolism and antioxidant status in diabetic lenses, these being significant factors involved in the development of diabetic complications, that reflects in the reduced lens opacity

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Abbreviations

AR:

Aldose reductase

G6PDH:

glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase

GR:

glutathione reductase

GPx:

glutathione peroxidase

GSH:

glutathione

SDH:

sorbitol dehydrogenase

TBARS:

thiobarbituric acid reactive species

SOV:

sodium orthovanadate

TSP:

Trigonella foenum graecum seed powder

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Hormone and Drug Research Laboratory and Applied Molecular Biology Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, 110 067, New Delhi, India

    Anju Preet, Bihari L. Gupta, Pramod K. Yadava & Najma Z. Baquer

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  1. Anju Preet
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  2. Bihari L. Gupta
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  3. Pramod K. Yadava
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  4. Najma Z. Baquer
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Correspondence to Najma Z. Baquer.

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Preet, A., Gupta, B.L., Yadava, P.K. et al. Efficacy of lower doses of vanadium in restoring altered glucose metabolism and antioxidant status in diabetic rat lenses. J. Biosci. 30, 221–230 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02703702

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