sodium selenate and diabetes

Doug Skrecky (oberon@vcn.bc.ca)
Mon, 23 Nov 1998 23:41:36 -0800 (PST)

Authors
Battell ML. Delgatty HL. McNeill JH. Institution
Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. Title
Sodium selenate corrects
glucose tolerance and heart function in STZ diabetic rats. Source
Molecular & Cellular Biochemistry. 179(1-2):27-34, 1998 Feb. Abstract
Sodium selenate, administered
intraperitoneally (i.p.), resulted in an improvement in glucose tolerance in treated diabetic rats. Fed rat plasma glucose levels were reduced by selenate treatment in streptozotocin diabetic rats. The lowest values of blood glucose were reached within 3 weeks of beginning the treatment. Food and fluid consumption was reduced in treated compared to untreated diabetic rats. Diabetic treated rats did not release insulin in response to a glucose challenge and insulin release in response to a challenge was markedly reduced in control treated rats. Assessment of heart function using a working heart apparatus showed that treated diabetic rats with improved blood glucose levels had normal heart function at 8 weeks of diabetes in contrast to hearts from non-treated diabetics. This study extends previous observations on the in vivo insulin-like effects of sodium
selenate.