The effects of oral treatment of rats with streptozotocin-induced diabetes with a range of vanadium dipicolinate complexes (Vdipic) and derivatives are reviewed. Structure-reactivity relationships are explored aiming to correlate properties such as stability, to their insulin-enhancing effects. Three types of modifications are investigated; first, substitutions on the aromatic ring, second, coordination of a hydroxylamido group to the vanadium, and third, changes in the oxidation state of the vanadium ion. These studies allowed us to address the importance of coordination chemistry, and redox chemistry, as modes of action. Dipicolinate was originally chosen as a ligand because the dipicolinatooxovanadium(V) complex (V5dipic), is a potent inhibitor of phosphatases. The effect of vanadium oxidation state (3, 4 or 5), on the insulin-enhancing properties was studied in both the Vdipic and VdipicCl series. Effects on blood glucose, body weight, serum lipids, alkaline phosphatase and aspartate transaminase were selectively monitored. Statistically distinct differences in activity were found, however, the trends observed were not the same in the Vdipic and VdipicCl series. Interperitoneal administration of the Vdipic series was used to compare the effect of administration mode. Correlations were observed for blood vanadium and plasma glucose levels after V5dipic treatment, but not after treatment with corresponding V4dipic and V3dipic complexes. Modifications of the aromatic ring structure with chloride, amine or hydroxyl groups had limited effects. Global gene expression was measured using Affymetrix oligonucleotide chips. All diabetic animals treated with hydroxyl substituted V5dipic (V5dipicOH) and some diabetic rats treated with vanadyl sulfate had normalized hyperlipidemia yet uncontrolled hyperglycemia and showed abnormal gene expression patterns. In contrast to the normal gene expression profiles previously reported for some diabetic rats treated with vanadyl sulfate, where both hyperlipidemia and hyperglycemia were normalized. Modification of the metal, changing the coordination chemistry to form a hydroxylamine ternary complex, had the most influence on the anti-diabetic action. Vanadium absorption into serum was determined by atomic absorption spectroscopy for selected vanadium complexes. Only diabetic rats treated with the ternary V5dipicOH hydroxylamine complex showed statistically significant increases in accumulation of vanadium into serum compared to diabetic rats treated with vanadyl sulfate. The chemistry and physical properties of the Vdipic complexes correlated with their anti-diabetic properties. Here, we propose that compound stability and ability to interact with cellular redox reactions are key components for the insulin-enhancing activity of vanadium compounds. Specifically, we found that the most overall effective anti-diabetic Vdipic compounds were obtained when the compound administered had an increased coordination number in the vanadium complex.

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The possibility that a negatively charged organic molecule penetrates the lipid interface in a reverse micellar system is examined using UV-vis absorption and NMR spectroscopy. The hypothesis that deprotonated forms of dipicolinic acid, H(2)dipic, such as Hdipic(-) and dipic(2-), can penetrate the lipid interface in a microemulsion is based on our previous finding that the insulin-enhancing anionic [VO(2)dipic](-) complex was found to reside in the hydrophobic layer of the reverse micelle (Crans et al. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2006, 128, 4437-4445). Penetration of a polar and charged compound, namely Hdipic(-) or dipic(2-), into a hydrophobic environment is perhaps unexpected given the established rules regarding the fundamental properties of compound solubility. As such, this work has broad implications in organic chemistry and other disciplines of science. These studies required a comprehensive investigation of the different dipic species and their association in aqueous solutions at varying pH values. Combining the aqueous studies using absorption and NMR spectroscopy with those in microemulsions defines the differences observed in the heterogeneous environment. Despite the expected repulsion between the surfactant head groups and the dianionic probe molecule, these studies demonstrate that dipic resides deep in the hydrophobic portion of the reverse micellar interface. In summary, these results provide evidence that ionic molecules can reside in nonpolar locations in microheterogeneous environments. This suggests that additional factors such as solvation are important to molecule location. Documented ability to penetrate lipid surfaces of similar charge provides a rationale for why specific drugs with less than optimal hydrophobicity are successful even though they violate Lipinski's rules.

There is increasing evidence for the involvement of plasma membrane microdomains in insulin receptor function. Moreover, disruption of these structures, which are typically enriched in sphingomyelin and cholesterol, results in insulin resistance. Treatment strategies for insulin resistance include the use of vanadium compounds which have been shown in animal models to enhance insulin responsiveness. One possible mechanism for insulin-enhancing effects might involve direct effects of vanadium compounds on membrane lipid organization. These changes in lipid organization promote the partitioning of insulin receptors and other receptors into membrane microdomains where receptors are optimally functional. To explore this possibility, we have used several strategies involving vanadium complexes such as [VO2dipic]− (pyridin-2,6-dicarboxylatodioxovanadium(V)), decavanadate (V10O286−, V10), BMOV (bis(maltolato)oxovanadium(IV)) and [VO(saltris)]2 (2-salicylideniminato-2-(hydroxymethyl)-1,3-dihydroxypropane-oxovanadium(V)). Our strategies include an evaluation of interactions between vanadium-containing compounds and model lipid systems, an evaluation of the effects of vanadium compounds on lipid fluidity in erythrocyte membranes, and studies of the effects of vanadium-containing compounds on signaling events initiated by receptors known to use membrane microdomains as signaling platforms.

Dynamic light scattering and NMR spectroscopic experimental evidence suggest the coexistence of two compositionally different self-assembled particles in solution. The self-assembled particles form in solutions containing water, Aerosol OT (AOT, sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate) surfactant, and cholesterol in cyclohexane. In a similar series of studies carried out in 1-octanol only one aggregate type, that is, reverse micelles, is observed. Dynamic light scattering measurements reveal the presence of two different types of aggregates in the microemulsions formed in cyclohexane, demonstrating the coexistence of two compositionally distinct structures with very similar Gibbs energies. One particle type consists of standard AOT reverse micelles while the second type of particle consists of submicellar aggregates including cholesterol as well as small amounts of AOT and water. In microemulsions employing 1-octanol as the continuous medium, AOT reverse micelles form in a dispersed solution of cholesterol in 1-octanol. Although the size distribution of self-assembled particles is well-known for many different systems, evidence for simultaneous formation of two distinctly sized particles in solution that are chemically different is unprecedented. The ability to form microemulsion solutions that contain coexisting particles may have important applications in drug formulation and administration, particularly as applied to drug delivery using cholesterol as a targeting agent.