Ameliorative Effects of Vanadyl Sulfate on Some Biochemical Parameters of Experimental Diabetic Rat Kidneys

Diabetes mellitus (DM), closely related to diabetic nephropathy, is one of the major public health problems worldwide. Today, with the increasing understanding of the underlying pathophysiology of DM, new oral anti-diabetic treatment strategies are being developed. Vanadium is a transition element that is widely distributed in nature, and its oral administration has been reported to improve DM in humans and a variety of diabetic animal models. The purpose of the research is to explore the effect of vanadyl sulfate (VS) administration on the different enzyme activities associated with kidney injury in streptozotocin- (STZ) induced diabetic rats. Male rats were assigned into groups as follows: untreated control, control animals given VS (100 mg/kg), diabetic (a single dose of intraperitoneal STZ, 65 mg/kg), and diabetic + VS (same dose) group. VS was administered orally for 60 days after the induction of diabetes. On the 60th day of experiment, kidney samples were taken for analysis. According to the data obtained from the biochemical analysis, the activities of transaminases, alkaline phosphatase, carbonic anhydrase, and γ-glutamyl transpeptidase decreased, whereas superoxide dismutase activity elevated in the kidney tissue of VS treated hyperglycemic animals. The results suggested that VS improved the diabetic renal injury, probably by VS insulin-mimic and antioxidant behavior through decreased oxidative stress and increased antioxidant capacity. Therefore, vanadyl sulfate might be used as a potential oral anti-diabetic compound in the treatment of the diabetic nephropathy, and as an important control for elevated blood glucose levels in the diabetic state.