Vanadate as factor of cardiovascular regulation by interactions with the catecholamine and nitric oxide systems

The effects of 1 microgram/mL of vanadium, given for 12 mo as sodium metavanadate in drinking water, on cardiovascular and biochemical indices of male rabbits were investigated. At the end of the exposure period, vanadium was more accumulated in bones and kidneys than in spleen and liver; the cardiac ventricles and the aorta contained similar amounts of this element. Blood pressure and heart rate were unchanged in the vanadate-exposed animals since the observed decrease of both cardiac inotropism and stroke volume was counteracted by an increase of peripheral vascular resistance, with reduction of arterial blood flow. The arterial levels of sodium, potassium and aldosterone were unmodified by vanadate which, however, strongly raised those of noradrenaline, adrenaline, L-DOPA, and dopamine. Vanadate caused a marked increase of the activity of monoamine oxidase in renal tubules and liver (probably in relation to the increased plasma catecholamine levels) and a reduction of that of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase in the kidney. There was also evidence that vanadium reduces synthesis and/or release of nitric oxide, the endothelium-derived vasodilating factor, likely through a reduced formation from bradykinin. It was concluded that vanadium may represent an environmental factor of altered cardiovascular homeostasis.