Pharmacology and Toxicology of Oxovanadium Species: Oxovanadium Pharmacology

This review covers physiological considerations in the pharmacological use of oxovanadium species as insulin-mimetic and antitumorogenic agents and provides data on the pharmacokinetics of NIDDM patients during oral dosing with vanadyl sulfate. Topics covered are the administration of vanadium to mammals, the determination of vanadium amount and form in cells and tissues, potential physiological effects of decavanadate, pharmacology and toxicology of oxovanadium compounds. Pharmacological factors considered are the interactions of oxovanadium species with cellular oxidation reactions, phosphate metabolism, and metabolic state. Vanadium was determined with graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrophotometer in serum and urine from patients receiving 25 and 50 mg elemental V/day. Using 50 mg V per day the t_1/2 serum washout was 9.1 ± 3.8 days, with peak serum V values ranging from 49.8 to 125.5 ng/ml with a mean of 82.4 ± 43.2 ng/ml. Clinical details of this study are described by Goldfine, Willsky and Kahn in this volume.