Insulin-like actions of tungstate in diabetic rats: Normalization of hepatic glucose metabolism

Oral administration of tungstate for 15 days normalized glycemia in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Simultaneously, the alterations in hepatic glucose metabolism due to diabetes were almost completely counteracted by this treatment. Thus, 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase, L-pyruvate kinase, and glycogen phosphorylase a activities reached levels similar to those observed in healthy animals. Hepatic levels of fructose 2,6-bisphosphate and glycogen also recovered. However, the recovery of glucokinase activity and hepatic levels of glucose 6-phosphate was only partial. The total activity of glycogen synthase increased, although the activation state was not recovered. Moreover, mRNA levels of hepatic glucokinase, glycogen phosphorylase, and phosphoenol-pyruvate carboxykinase were also normalized. Tungstate administration in healthy animals also affected all these parameters, although to a much lesser extent. All these effects were similar to those previously reported for vanadate, suggesting a common mechanism of action in vivo.