Effects of vanadate on expression of liver arginase in experimental diabetic rats

This work was carried out to study the effects of vanadate on the expression of liver-type arginase in experimentally induced diabetes in the rat. The results showed that the activity and mRNA levels of arginase were increased significantly in the diabetic condition. Vanadate treatment reversed the increased activity and restored mRNA levels of arginase almost to the control values. The reversal effects of vanadate were found to be similar to those of insulin, and this further confirms the insulin-like effects of vanadate. ELISA and slot-blot assay observations were consistent with the biochemical measurements of enzyme activity. The increase in arginase activity and mRNA levels in diabetes and the decrease in insulin- and vanadate-treated animals may be due to the transcriptional regulation of arginase.