Comparative studies on the biospeciation of antidiabetic VO(IV) and Zn(II) complexes

The speciation of several insulin-mimetic/enhancing VO(IV) and Zn(II) complexes in human blood serum was studied and a comparison was made concerning the ability of the serum components to interact with the original metal complexes and the distribution of the metal ions between the low and the high molecular fractions of the serum. It was found that the low molecular mass components may play a larger role in transporting Zn(II) than in the case with VO(IV). Among the high molecular mass serum proteins, transferrin is the primary binder of VO(IV), and albumin is that of Zn(II). The results revealed that protein-ligand interactions may influence the metal ion distribution in the serum.     

In vitro study of the insulin-like action of vanadyl-pyrone and -pyridinone complexes with a VO(O4) coordination mode

The insulin-like action of a novel class of potential insulin-mimetic complexes was investigated in terms of free fatty acid (FFA) release from isolated rat adipocytes. Vanadyl complexes such as VO(ema)2 [(bis(2-ethyl-3-hydroxy-4-pyrone)VO], VO(mpp)2 [bis (3-hydroxy-2-methyl-4(1H)-pyridinone)VO], VO(dmpp)2 [bis(1,2-dimethyl-3-hydroxy-4(1H)-pyridinone)VO] and VO(empp)2 [bis(2-ethyl-3-hydroxy-1-methyl-4(1H)-pyridinone)VO] were tested together with vanadyl sulfate for comparison. The inhibitory effect of the vanadium complexes on FFA release, from rat adipocytes treated with epinephrine, is dependent on concentration and for that reason the results are reported in terms of the IC50 value, the 50% inhibition concentration. The results show that all the complexes have an inhibitory effect on FFA release and that two pyridinone complexes, VO(mpp)2 and VO(empp)2, have a significantly better insulin-mimetic activity than that of vanadyl sulfate.     

Novel vanadyl complexes with quinoxaline N(1),N(4)-dioxide derivatives as potent in vitro insulin-mimetic compounds

As a contribution to the development of novel vanadyl complexes with potential insulin-mimetic activity, three new oxovanadium(IV) complexes with the formula VO(L)(2), where L are 3-amino-quinoxaline-2-carbonitrile N(1),N(4)-dioxide derivatives, have been synthesized. Complexes have been characterized by elemental and thermal analyses, fast atom bombardment mass spectroscopy (FAB-MS), conductivity measurements and electronic, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopies. The in vitro insulin-mimetic activity of the vanadyl complexes has been estimated by lipolysis inhibition tests, in which the inhibition of the release of free fatty acid from isolated rat adipocytes treated with epinephrine was determined. All the complexes showed inhibitory effects on free fatty acid release. [V(IV)O(3-amino-6(7)-bromoquinoxaline-2-carbonitrile N(1),N(4)-dioxide)(2)] exhibited higher in vitro insulin-mimetic activity than the very active bis(6-methylpicolinato)oxovanadium(IV), VO(6mpa)(2). This new vanadyl complex is expected to exhibit a higher blood glucose lowering activity than VO(6mpa)(2) in diabetic animals.     

An orally active antidiabetic vanadyl complex, bis(1-oxy-2-pyridinethiolato)oxovanadium(IV), with VO(S2O2) coordination mode; in vitro and in vivo evaluations in rats

According to Pearson's HSAB (hard and soft acids and bases) rule, the vanadyl ion is classified as a hard acid. However, vanadyl-cysteine methyl ester and dithiocarbamate complexes with VO(S2N2) and VO(S4) coordination modes, respectively, that contain bonds with a combination of hard acid (VO2+) and soft base (sulfur) have been found to form stable complexes and exhibit insulin-mimetic activities in in vitro and in vivo evaluations. Based on such observations, a purple bis(1-oxy-2-pyridinethiolato)oxovanadium(IV) (VO(OPT)) complex with VO(S2O2) coordination mode was prepared and found to have a strong insulin-mimetic activity in in vitro evaluation, which followed in vivo effectiveness on intraperitoneal injection and oral administration. Then, we examined the real-time ESR analysis of vanadyl species in the blood of live rats given VO(OPT) by use of the blood circulation monitoring-ESR method. The clearance of vanadyl species from the blood in terms of half-life (t(1/2)) was determined as 15 min in VO(OPT)-treated rats, while t(1/2) of VOSO4-treated rats was 5 min, indicating the long-term acting character of VO(OPT). On the basis of the results, VO(OPT) with VO(S2O2) coordination mode is proposed to be a potent orally active insulin-mimetic complex in treating insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus in experimental animals.     

An in vitro study of interactions between insulin-mimetic zinc(II) complexes and selected plasma components

The speciations of some potent insulin-mimetic zinc(II) complexes of bidentate ligands: maltol and 1,2-dimethyl-3-hydroxypyridinone with (O,O) and picolinic acid with (N,O) coordination modes, were studied via solution equilibrium investigations of the ternary complex formation in the presence of small relevant bioligands of the blood serum such as cysteine, histidine and citric acid. Results show that formation of the ternary complexes, especially with cysteine, is favoured at physiological pH range in almost all systems studied. Besides these low molecular mass binders, serum proteins among others albumin and transferrin can bind zinc(II) or its complexes. Accordingly, the distribution of zinc(II) between the small and high molecular mass fractions of the serum was also studied by ultrafiltration. Modelling calculations relating to the distribution of zinc(II), using the stability constants of the ternary complexes studied and those of the serum proteins reported in the literature, confirmed the ultrafiltration results, namely, the primary role of albumin in zinc(II) binding among the low and high molecular mass components of the serum.     

Structural origins of the insulin-mimetic activity of bis(acetylacetonato)oxovanadium(IV)

We have investigated the interaction of bis(acetylacetonato)oxovanadium(IV) (VO(acac)(2)) with bovine serum albumin (BSA) by EPR and angle-selected electron nuclear double resonance, correlating results with assays of glucose uptake by 3T3-L1 adipocytes. EPR spectra of VO(acac)(2) showed no broadening in the presence of BSA; however, electron nuclear double resonance titrations of VO(acac)(2) in the presence of BSA were indicative of adduct formation of VO(acac)(2) with albumin of 1:1 stoichiometry. The influence of VO(acac)(2) on uptake of 2-deoxy-d-[1-(14)C]glucose by serum-starved 3T3-L1 adipocytes was measured in the presence and absence of BSA. Glucose uptake was stimulated 9-fold in the presence of 0.5 mm VO(acac)(2), 17-fold in the presence of 0.5 mm VO(acac)(2) plus 1 mm BSA, and 22-fold in the presence of 100 nm insulin. BSA had no influence on glucose uptake, on the action of insulin, or on glucose uptake in the presence of VOSO(4). The maximum insulin-mimetic effect of VO(acac)(2) was observed at VO(acac)(2):BSA ratios less than or equal to 1.0. Similar results were obtained also with bis(maltolato)oxovanadium(IV). These results suggest that the enhanced insulin-mimetic action of organic chelates of VO(2+) may be dependent on adduct formation with BSA and possibly other serum transport proteins.     

In vitro study of the insulin-mimetic behaviour of vanadium(IV, V) coordination compounds

A representative set of vanadium(IV and V) compounds in varying coordination environments has been tested in the concentration range 1 to 10(-6) mM, using transformed mice fibroblasts (cell line SV 3T3), with respect to their short-term cell toxicity (up to 36 hours) and their ability to stimulate glucose uptake by cells. These insulin-mimetic tests have also been carried out with non-transformed human fibroblasts (cell line F26). The compounds under investigation comprise established insulin-mimetic species such as vanadate ([H(2)VO(4)](-)), [VO(acetylacetonate)(2)], [VO(2)(dipicolinate)](-) and [VO(maltolate)(2)], and new systems and coordination compounds containing OO, ON, OS, NS and ONS donor atom sets. A vitality test assay, measuring the reduction equivalents released in the mitochondrial respiratory chain by intracellular glucose degradation, is introduced and the results are counter-checked with (3)H-labelled glucose. Most compounds are toxic at the 1 mM concentration level, and most compounds are essentially non-toxic and about as effective as or more potent than insulin at concentrations of 0.01 mM and below. V(V) compounds tend to be less toxic than V(IV)compounds, and complexes containing thio functional ligands are somewhat more toxic than others. Generally, ON ligation is superior in insulin-mimetic efficacy to OO or O/ NS coordination, irrespective of the vanadium oxidation state. There is, however, no striking correlation between the nature of the ligand systems and the insulin-mimetic potency in these cell culture tests, encompassing 41 vanadium compounds, the results on 22 of which are reported in detail here. The syntheses and characteristics of various new compounds are provided together with selected speciation results. The crystal and molecular structures of [[VO(naph-tris)](2)] [where naph-tris is the Schiff base formed between o-hydroxynaphthaldehyde and tris(hydroxymethyl)amine] are reported. Electronic supplementary material to this paper can be obtained by using the Springer Link server located at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00775-001-0311-5.     

In vivo coordination structural changes of a potent insulin-mimetic agent, bis(picolinato)oxovanadium(IV), studied by electron spin-echo envelope modulation spectroscopy

Bis(picolinato)oxovanadium(IV) [VO(pic)2] is one of the most potent insulin-mimetic vanadium complexes. To probe coordination structural changes of this complex in vivo and provide insights into the origin of its high potency, an electron spin-echo envelope modulation (ESEEM) study was performed on organs (kidney, liver and bone) of VO(pic)2- and VOSO4-treated rats. Kidney and liver samples from both types of rats exhibited a 14N ESEEM signal that could be attributed to equatorially coordinating amine nitrogen. The relative intensity of the amine signal was larger for the organs of the rat treated with the less potent VOSO4, suggesting that this amine coordination inhibits the insulin-mimetic activity. The spectra of kidney and liver from the VO(pic)2-treated rat contained a weak signal due to the picolinate imine nitrogen. This suggests that some picolinato species (including both the bispicolinato and a partially decomposed monopicolinato species) still exist in the organs as a minor species, where the proportions of the picolinato species to the total amount of the EPR-detectable VIVO species are estimated as 8-16% in the kidney and 12-24% in the liver. The picolinate ligand presumably serves to prevent VO2+ from being converted into the inactive amine-coordinated species. Bone samples from both types of rats exhibited an ESEEM signal due to 31P nuclei. The VO2+ in bone is therefore most likely incorporated into the hydroxyapatite Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2 matrix, which is consistent with the hypothesis that the bone-accumulated VO2+ is gradually released and transported to other organs as is Ca2+. No 14N signals were observed, even in the bone samples of the VO(pic)2-treated rats, indicating that vanadium uptake by bone requires complete decomposition of the complex.     

Enhancement of insulin signaling pathway in adipocytes by oxovanadium(IV) complexes

Recently, we have found that some oxovanadium(IV) complexes are potent insulin-mimetic compounds for treating both type I and type II diabetic animals. However, the functional mechanism of oxovanadium(IV) complexes is not fully understood. In this report, we have shown that oxovanadium(IV)-picolinate complexes such as VO(pa)(2), VO(3mpa)(2), and VO(6mpa)(2) act on the insulin signaling pathway in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Among them, VO(3mpa)(2) was found to be the highest potent activator in inducing not only the phosphotyrosine levels of both IRbeta and IRS but also the activation of downstream kinases in the insulin receptor, such as Akt and GSK3beta, which in turn translocated the insulin-dependent GLUT4 to the plasma membrane. Then, we examined whether or not oxovanadium(IV)-picolinates exhibit the hypoglycemic activity in STZ-induced diabetic mice, and found that VO(3mpa)(2) is more effective than the others in improving the hyperglycemia of the animals. Our present data indicate that both activation of insulin signaling pathway, which follows the GLUT4 translocation to the plasma membrane, and enhancement of glucose utilization by oxovanadium(IV) complexes cause the hypoglycemic effect in diabetic animals.     

A quantitative study of the biotransformation of insulin-enhancing VO2+ compounds

Potentiometric (pH titrations) and spectroscopic (electron paramagnetic resonance) methods have been used to determine the thermodynamic stability constants of the various VO²⁺ complexes formed after the interaction of four insulin-enhancing vanadium compounds, [VO(6-mepic)₂], cis-[VO(pic)₂(H₂O)], [VO(acac)₂], and [VO(dhp)₂], where 6-mepic, pic, acac, and dhp indicate the deprotonated forms of 6-methylpicolinic acid, picolinic acid, acetylacetone, and 1,2-dimethyl-3-hydroxy-4(1H)-pyridinone, with high molecular mass [human serum apotransferrin (hTf) and human serum albumin (HSA)] and low molecular mass (lactate) components of blood serum. In particular, log β values for the formation of (VO)hTf (13.0 ± 0.5), (VO)₂hTf (25.5 ± 0.5), (VO)HSA (9.1 ± 1.0), (VO) ₂ ^d HSA (20.9 ± 1.0), cis-VO(dhp)₂(hTf) (25.5 ± 0.6), cis-VO(dhp)₂(HSA) (25.9 ± 0.6), (VO)hTf(lact) (14.5 ± 0.8), (VO)₂hTf(lact)₂ (28.5 ± 0.8), (VO)hTf(pic) (15.6 ± 0.8), and (VO)₂hTf(pic)₂ (30.4 ± 0.8) were determined. The values of the stability constants were used to compare the calculated composition of ternary and quinary systems with that recently proposed by some of us through electron paramagnetic resonance and density functional theory methods (Sanna et al. in Inorg. Chem. 49:174–187, 2010) and to predict the distribution of VO²⁺ ion in blood serum when one of the four insulin-enhancing vanadium compounds studied, [VO(carrier)₂], is administered.     

Salicylamide and salicylglycine oxidovanadium complexes with insulin-mimetic properties

Reaction of N-(2-hydroxybenzyl)-N-(2-picolyl) glycine (H₂papy) with VOSO₄ in water gives the oxidovanadium(V) oxido-bridged dimer [{(papy)(VO)}₂ μ-O)] (1). Similarly, reaction of N-(2-hydroxybenzyl) glycine (H₂glysal) with VOSO₄ gives [(glysal)VO(H₂O)] (2) and reaction of salicylamide (Hsalam) with VOSO₄ in methanol gives [(salam)₂VO] (3). The crystal structure of the oxido-bridged complex 1 is reported. The insulin-mimetic activity of all three complexes was evaluated with respect to their ability to phosphorylate protein kinase B (PKB). The speciations of complexes 1 and 2 were studied over the pH range 2-10. Complex 1 shows greater stability over the whole pH range but only 2 and 3 exhibit an insulin-mimetic effect.     

Syntheses of vanadyl and zinc(II) complexes of 1-hydroxy-4,5,6-substituted 2(1H)-pyrimidinones and their insulin-mimetic activities

Control of the glucose level in the blood plasma has been achieved in vitro and in vivo by administration of vanadium and zinc in form of inorganic salts. It has been shown that elements are poorly absorbed in their inorganic forms and required high doses which have been associated with undesirable side effects. Many researchers, therefore, have focused on metal complexes that were prepared from VOSO(4) or ZnSO(4) and low-molecular-weight bidentate ligands. Seven kinds of 1-hydroxy-4,6-disubstituted and 1-hydroxy-4,5,6-trisubstituted-2(1H)-pyrimidinones were synthesized by reaction of N-benzyloxyurea and beta-diketones and subsequent removal of the protecting group. Six kinds of 1-hydroxy-4-(substituted)amino-2(1H)-pyrimidinones were synthesized by the substitution reaction of 1-benzyloxy-4-(1',2',4'-triazol-1'-yl)-2(1H)-pyrimidinone with various alkyl amines or amino acids. Treatment with VOSO(4) and ZnSO(4) or Zn(OAc)(2) afforded vanadyl(IV) and zinc(II) complexes which were characterized by means of (1)H NMR, IR, EPR, and UV-vis spectroscopies, and combustion analysis. The in vitro insulin-mimetic activity of these complexes was evaluated from 50% inhibitory concentrations (IC(50)) on free fatty acid (FFA) release from isolated rat adipocytes treated with epinephrine. Vanadyl complexes of 4,6-disubstituted-2(1H)-pyrimidinones showed higher insulin-mimetic activities than those of 4,5,6-trisubstituted ones. On the other hand, Zn(II) complexes showed lower insulin-mimetic activities than VOSO(4) and ZnSO(4) as positive controls. It was found that the balance of the hydrophilicity and/or hydrophobicity is important for higher insulin-mimetic activity. The in vivo insulin-mimetic activity was evaluated with streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. Blood glucose levels were lowered from hyperglycemic to normal levels after the treatment with bis(1,2-dihydro-4,6-dimethyl-2-oxo-1-pyrimidinolato)oxovanadium(IV) by daily intraperitoneal injections. The improvement in glucose tolerance was also confirmed by an oral glucose tolerance test.     

Chemical speciation of insulinomimetic VO(IV) complexes of pyridine-N-oxide derivatives: binary and ternary systems

In order to estimate the impact of the low-molecular-mass (l.m.m.) VO(IV) binders of blood serum on the potentially insulin-enhancing compound VO(HPO)(2) (HPO, 2-hydroxypyridine-N-oxide): and VO(MPO)(2) (MPO, 2-mercaptopyridine-N-oxide), the speciation in the binary system VO(IV)-HPO and VO(IV)-MPO and in the ternary systems VO(IV)-HPO(MPO)-ligand B (B=oxalate, lactate, citrate or phosphate) was studied by pH-potentiometry. The stability constants of the complexes formed were determined in aqueous solution at I=0.2 M (KCl) and T=25 degrees C. The most probable binding modes of the complexes were determined by EPR method. The pyridine-N-oxides were found to form very stable bis complexes, which are predominant in the pH range 2-7. The results in the ternary systems demonstrate that only the citrate is a strong enough VO(IV) binder to compete with the carrier ligands. The binding ability of the high-molecular-mass (h.m.m.) serum proteins albumin and transferrin were also assessed and transferrin was found to be an efficient binder molecule. The actual solution state of these compounds in blood serum is compared with that of other insulin-mimic VO(IV) complexes.     

Contribution of heme-propionate side chains to structure and function of myoglobin: chemical approach by artificially created prosthetic groups

The synthesis and spectral and magnetic characterization of VO(2+) complexes with Ibuprofen (2-(4-isobutylphenyl)propionic acid), Naproxen (6-methoxy-alpha-methyl-2-naphthalene acetic acid) and Tolmetin (1-methyl-5-(4-methylbenzoyl)-1H-pyrrole-2-acetic acid) were studied. The complexes [VO(Ibu)(2)] x 5CH(3)OH, [VO(Nap)(2)] x 5CH(3)OH and [VO(Tol)(2)] were obtained from methanolic solutions under nitrogen atmosphere. The biological activities of these complexes on the proliferation of two osteoblast-like cells in culture (MC3T3E1 and UMR106) were compared with that of the vanadyl(IV) cation. The complexes exhibited different effects depending on the concentration and the cellular type, while no effect was observed for their parent drugs.     

Synthesis and insulin-mimetic activities of metal complexes with 3-hydroxypyridine-2-carboxylic acid

Metal complexes of 3-hydroxypyridine-2-carboxylic acid (H(2)hpic), [Co(Hhpic)(2)(H(2)O)(2)] (1), [Fe(Hhpic)(2)(H(2)O)(2)] (2), [Zn(Hhpic)(2)(H(2)O)(2)] (3), [Mn(Hhpic)(2)(H(2)O)(2)] (4), and [Cu(Hhpic)(2)] (5) have been synthesized and characterized by mass spectrometry, elemental analysis, magnetic susceptibility, infrared, electronic absorption and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopies. The solid-state structure of 1 has been established by X-ray crystallography. The EPR spectra of 4 and 5 displayed six and four-line hyperfine splitting patterns, respectively, due to coupling of the unpaired electron with the (55)Mn (I=5/2) nucleus and the (63)Cu (I=3/2) nucleus. In the EPR spectrum of 5, an additional five-line super-hyperfine splitting pattern was observed at 77 K, caused by additional interaction of the unpaired electron with ligand nitrogen atoms (I=1), indicating that the structure of 5 was retained in dimethyl sulfoxide solution. The insulin-mimetic activity of these complexes was evaluated by means of in vitro measurements of the inhibition of free fatty acid (FFA) release from epinephrine-treated, isolated rat adipocytes. Complex 5 was found to exhibit the most potent insulin-mimetic activity among the complexes examined in this study.     

A novel drug delivery system for type 1 diabetes: insulin-mimetic vanadyl-poly(gamma-glutamic acid) complex

Insulin-mimetic vanadyl-poly(gamma-glutamic acid) complex, VO-gamma-PGA, is proposed as a novel drug delivery system for treating type 1 diabetic animals. The structure of VO-gamma-PGA in solution as well as in solid state was analyzed by electronic absorption, infra-red, and electron spin resonance spectra, and proposed that the equatorial coordination mode of VO(2+) is in either carboxylate(O)-VO-(OH(2))(3) or 2 carboxylate(O(2))-VO-(OH(2))(2). In vitro insulin-mimetic activity, metallokinetic feature in the blood of healthy rats, and in vivo normoglycemic effect of the complex prepared in solution were evaluated in streptozotocin(STZ)-induced type 1 diabetic mice, and these effects were compared with those of a solution containing only VOSO(4) as a positive control. The in vitro insulin-mimetic activity of VO-gamma-PGA was examined by determining both inhibition of free fatty acid (FFA) release and glucose uptake in isolated rat adipocytes, in which the concentration of VO-gamma-PGA for 50% inhibition of FFA release was significantly lower than that of VOSO(4). Metallokinetic study suggested that the bioavailability of VO-gamma-PGA complex was much higher than that of VOSO(4). The complex showed a significant hypoglycemic activity within at least 4h after a single oral administration, the effect being sustained for at least 24h. Furthermore, VO-gamma-PGA normalized the hyperglycemia in STZ-mice within 3 days when it was given orally at doses of 5-10mgVkg(-1) body mass for 16 days. The improvement in diabetes was also supported by the results on oral glucose tolerance test, HbA(1c) levels, and blood pressure.     

A new insulin-mimetic bis(allixinato)zinc(II) complex: structure–activity relationship of zinc(II) complexes

During the investigation of the development of insulin-mimetic zinc(II) complexes with a blood glucose-lowering effect in experimental diabetic animals, we found a potent bis(maltolato)zinc(II) complex, Zn(ma)₂, exhibiting significant insulin-mimetic effects in a type 2 diabetic animal model. By using this Zn(ma)₂ as the leading compound, we examined the in vitro and in vivo structure–activity relationships of Zn(ma)₂ and its related complexes. The in vitro insulin-mimetic activity of these complexes was determined by the inhibition of free fatty acid release and the enhancement of glucose uptake in isolated rat adipocytes treated with epinephrine. A new Zn(II) complex with allixin isolated from garlic, Zn(alx)₂, exhibited the highest insulin-mimetic activity among the complexes analyzed. The insulin-mimetic activity of the Zn(II) complexes examined strongly correlated (correlation coefficient=0.96) with the partition coefficient (logP) of the ligand, indicating that the activity of Zn(ma)₂-related complexes depends on the lipophilicity of the ligand. The blood glucose-lowering effects of Zn(alx)₂ and Zn(ma)₂ were then compared, and both complexes were found to normalize hyperglycemia in KK-A^y mice after a 14-day course of daily intraperitoneal injections. However, Zn(alx)₂ improved glucose tolerance in KK-A^y mice much more than did Zn(ma)₂, indicating that Zn(alx)₂ possesses greater in vivo anti-diabetic activity than Zn(ma)₂. In addition, Zn(alx)₂ improved leptin resistance and suppressed the progress of obesity in type 2 diabetic KK-A^y mice. On the basis of these observations, we conclude that the Zn(alx)₂ complex is a novel potent candidate for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus.Electronic Supplementary Material Supplementary material is available in the online version of this article at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00775-004-0590-8     

Synthesis, characterisation and insulin-mimetic activity of oxovanadium(IV) complexes with amidrazone derivatives

The complexation of VO(2+) ion by ten acetamidrazone and 2-phenylacetamidrazone derivatives (L) was studied. Sixteen novel VO(2+) complexes were synthesised and characterised through the combined application of analytical and spectroscopic (EPR (electron paramagnetic resonance), FT-IR and diffuse reflectance electronic absorption) techniques. Eight are 1:2 species of composition [VOL(2)]SO(4) x xH(2)O and eight are 1:1 species with formula [VOL(SO(4))](n) x xH(2)O. The experimental data suggest a bidentate coordination mode for L with the donor set formed by the imine nitrogen and the carbonyl oxygen. EPR spectra indicate a square-pyramidal geometry for the 1:1 complexes and a penta-coordinated geometry intermediate between the square-pyramid and the trigonal-bipyramid for the 1:2 species. The hyperfine coupling constant along z axis, A(z), of the 1:2 complexes exhibits a marked reduction with respect to the predicted value (approximately 148x10(-4)cm(-1) vs. approximately 170x10(-4)cm(-1)). IR spectroscopic evidence supports the presence of sulphate as a counter-ion in the 1:2, and as a bridging bidentate ligand in the 1:1 complexes. Insulin-mimetic tests on modified fibroblasts, based on a modified MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazoliumbromide) assay, performed on three of the bis-chelated and eight of the mono-chelated derivatives, indicate that they are biologically active. The similar hydro/lipophilicity and the lack of ligand substituents recognizable by cell membrane receptors prevent substantial differentiation in the insulin-mimetic action.     

A new halogenated antidiabetic vanadyl complex, bis(5-iodopicolinato)oxovanadium(IV): in vitro and in vivo insulinomimetic evaluations and metallokinetic analysis

A new vanadyl complex, bis(5-iodopicolinato)oxovanadium(IV), VO(IPA)2, with a VO(N2O2) coordination mode, was prepared by mixing 5-iodopicolinic acid and VOSO4 at pH 5, with the structure characterized by electronic absorption, IR, and EPR spectra. Introduction of the halogen atom on to the ligand enhanced the in vitro insulinomimetic activity (IC50 = 0.45 mM) compared with that of bis(picolinato)oxovanadium(IV) (IC50 = 0.59 mM). The hyperglycemia of streptozotocin-induced insulin-dependent diabetic rats was normalized when VO(IPA)2 was given by daily intraperitoneal injection. The normoglycemic effect continued for more than 14 days after the end of treatment. To understand the insulinomimetic action of VO(IPA)2, the organ distribution of vanadium and the blood disposition of vanadyl species were investigated. In diabetic rats treated with VO(IPA)2, vanadium was distributed in almost all tissues examined, especially in bone, indicating that the action of vanadium is not peripheral. Vanadyl concentrations in the blood of normal rats given VO(IPA)2 remain significantly higher and longer than those given other complexes because of its slower clearance rate. VO(IPA)2 binds with the membrane of erythrocytes, probably owing to its high hydrophobicity in addition to its binding with serum albumin. The longer residence of vanadyl species shows the higher normoglyceric effects of VO(IPA)2 among three complexes with the VO(N2O2) coordination mode. On the basis of these results, VO(IPA)2 is indicated to be a preferred agent to treat insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus in experimental animals.