ABSTRACT
Dietary vanadium requirement is also dependent on the design of the diet; with chloride, iodide, iron, copper, chromium, ascorbic acid, sulfur-containing amino acids, and riboflavin influencing the ability to observe adverse effects due to vanadium deprivation. Based on studies with vanadium and iodine on thyroid metabolism in rats, Nielsen has suggested compromised thyroid function as a possible reason for increased vanadium demand in mammals. In view of the interest in vanadium as an essential element, one of the more interesting pharmacologic effects currently being pursued is the use of vanadium complexes as insulin mimetic agents. In the case of vanadium, the toxic effects are usually considered to be due to industrial respiratory exposure as high concentrations of this element had previously been administered in the diet. The use of rodent models allows toxicity and accumulation of vanadium to be readily assessed both histologically and through analysis of vanadium content of tissues.
