Adipogenic action of vanadium: a new dimension in treating diabetes.

Abstract

Vanadium is a well known anti-diabetic agent which mimics most of the actions of insulin on mature adipocytes. We report here the effect of vanadium on proliferation and differentiation of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes. Like insulin, vanadium treatment leads to increased proliferation as evidenced by H(3)thymidine uptake studies and differentiation of 3T3-L1 cells into adipocytes as evidenced by oil-red-O staining. Adipogenic potential of vanadium can be attributed to CREB activation, as documented by phospho-CREB antibody staining. This adipogenic potential is of significance in an in vivo scenario as the new adipocytes are likely to be insulin sensitive as against resistant existing mature adipocytes and thus indirectly may help in reduction of insulin resistance. Till today decrease in insulin resistance by vanadium treatment has been mainly attributed to its potential to inhibit PTP-1B, however the present study opens a new dimension in vanadium treatment for diabetes due to its novel role in adipogenesis.

• Authors: Ruchi Shukla, Ramesh R Bhonde
• Journal: Biometals : an international journal on the role of metal ions in biology, biochemistry, and medicine (Biometals) Vol. 21 Issue 2 Pg. 205-10 (Apr 2008) ISSN: 0966-0844 [Print] Netherlands
• PMID: 17671828 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding Protein
• Vanadium

Topics

• 3T3-L1 Cells (drug effects, metabolism)
• Adipogenesis (drug effects)
• Animals
• Cell Differentiation (drug effects)
• Cell Proliferation (drug effects)
• Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding Protein (metabolism)
• Diabetes Mellitus (drug therapy, metabolism)
• Mice
• Vanadium (metabolism, pharmacology, therapeutic use)