Download Vanadium: Insulin Mimicry

Vanadium: Insulin Mimicry
By: Jasmine A. Rangel
What is Insulin?
Hormone that triggers glucose, amino acid and fatty
acid uptake in tissues.
C6H12O6 + 6O2 → 6CO2 + 6H2O 30 ATP
How does insulin work?
Vanadium Complexes
Vanadate (1979)
Vanadyl
⎤2+
⎤2+
Among the best
Peroxovanadates
Mechanism I
- protein phosphotyrosine phosphatase (PPTP) returns insulin receptor kinase
(IRK) to pre-insulin binding form, IRK phosphorilates it’s own tyr
- V(V) able to bypass IRK phosphorylation step or activate diff PTK aka the
beta subunit
- Vanadate & Vanadyl target PPTP but in cytPTKs, this allows activation of
corresponding cytPTKs
- If we inhibit cytPTK then V insulin mimicry is suppressed so activation of
cytPTK is needed but other unknown mechanism is prob also important
Mechanism II
- V complex induces the influx of Ca2+ into cell
- Ca2+ is thought to help in the release of insulin into the bloodstream