Vanadium

Introduction

Vanadium is a widely distributed element, and its biological actions have been studied extensively. The average human diet provides 10–160 mg of V a day, mainly from mushrooms, seafood, black pepper, parsley, fennel seeds, grains, and spinach. (R1)

Uptake

After entering the bloodstream, V compounds are converted into vanadyl cations, which form complexes with transferrin and ferritin and, less frequently, albumin, hemoglobin, and low molecular weight plasma components (citrate, lactate, and phosphate). In human serum, the V concentration of healthy individuals ranges from 1–100 nM.

V is distributed differentially in various organs, accumulating mainly in the kidney and, to a lesser extent, in the liver, bones, spleen and brain. (R1)

Effects of vanadium

Vanadate (+5) and/or vanadyl (+4) ions are very potent inhibitors of Na+, K+-ATPase and other ATPases, phosphatases and kinases, and are activators of adenylate kinase, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, and insulin receptor.

The pharmacological effects of V compounds have been studied extensively, particularly in relation to their insulin-mimetic and anti-cancer effects. (R1)