In vivo insulin resistance in streptozotocin-diabetic rats ? evidence for reversal following oral vanadate treatment

Abstract

Hepatic glucose production and peripheral glucose utilisation were measured in vivo with the euglycaemic-hyper-insulinaemic clamp technique in rats rendered severely diabetic with streptozotocin (45 mg/kg) and in control rats. The rats were studied in the post-absorptive state while anaesthetised. The basal glucose production and glucose utilisation were significantly higher (pppppp<0.05) as compared to vanadate-treated control rats. Vanadate treatment in control rats did not affect significantly any of the above parameters. These results show an insulin-like effect of vanadate upon glucose metabolism in vivo in the liver and peripheral tissues of diabetic rats, leading to normalisation of glycaemia in the absence of any significant improvement of insulin secretion.