Effect of VIVO (dipic-Cl) (H2O)2 on lipid metabolism disorders in the liver of STZ-induced diabetic rats

Vanadium complexes are potent antidiabetic agents for therapeutical treatment of diabetes. In the present study, we investigated the hypolipidemic effect of (VO)-O-IV(dipic-Cl)(H2O)(2) (V-4 dipic-Cl) in liver of streptozotocin-(STZ-)-induced diabetic rats. We found that diabetic animals exhibited hepatic inflammatory infiltration and impaired liver function along with triglyceride (TG) accumulation in the liver. V(4)dipic-Cl treatment not only ameliorated liver pathological state but also reduced hepatic TG level. Moreover, the upregulation of fatty acid translocase (FAT/CD36) mRNA (4.0-fold) and protein (8.2-fold) levels in the liver of diabetic rats were significantly reversed after V(4)dipic-Cl treatment. However, no significant effects of V(4)dipic-Cl on the mRNA expression of fatty acid metabolism-related fatty acid bounding protein 1 (FABP1) and fatty acid transporter 5 (FATP5) were observed. These results suggest that the modification of lipid metabolism-related FAT/CD36 in the liver of diabetic rats is likely involved in the hypolipidemic effects of V(4)dipic-Cl.