There is now substantial epidemiological evidence that diabetes is a risk factor for cerebrovascular disease. The protection by vanadium from focal cerebral ischemia in diabetic rats was studied in this paper. Rats with streptozotocin-induced diabetes were subjected to middle cerebral artery occlusion followed by 4 weeks of administration of 0.6 mg/ml sodium orthovanadate in drinking water. Vanadium significantly improved the outcome in diabetic rats after cerebral ischemia and reperfusion in terms of neurobehavioral function. Vanadium reduces brain damage in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats by imitating action of insulin.
