Biochemical and morphological study on liver Golgi complex in streptozotocin-diabetic and control rats treated with...

In this study oral treatment with bis(kojato)oxovanadium(IV) solution was administered twice. The first, short vanadium treatment (so called pretreatment) was used to accustom animals to the flavour of this liquid. After 2-2.5 weeks the second treatment, in high concentration and for a longer time served as a "drug". The physiological parameters such as weights of animals and their livers, reduction of liquid and food intake were lower than in control. Activity of Golgi marker enzyme GalT was significantly lower in both vanadium treated groups (p < 0.01), but in diabetic vanadium treated group it was higher, albeit not significantly, than in control vanadium treated rats. The morphology of Golgi complexes in diabetic rats on prolonged vanadium treatment was similar to that in the one week treated rats (see Part I). Rounded stacks of cisternae characteristic of untreated streptozotocin (STZ)-diabetes were also seen in vanadium treated diabetic rats, but in comparison with untreated diabetic livers, the secretory activities of Golgi complexes were preserved or even stimulated.