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ARS Home » Plains Area » Grand Forks, North Dakota » Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center » Dietary Prevention of Obesity-related Disease Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #100992
Title: PREDOMINANT PHYSIOLOGICAL FACTORS INTHE RESPONSE OF RATS TO CHANGES IN DIETARY VANADIUM

Author
item Zaslavsky, Boris
item Nielsen, Forrest - Frosty
item Uthus, Eric

Submitted to: North Dakota Academy of Science Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/15/1999
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Although no specific biological function for vanadium is known, it has been long suspected to be essential for animals. Recent studies have shown that vanadium-deprived goats exhibited an elevated abortion rate and depressed milk production. In another study, vanadium deprivation affected indices of iodine metabolism. Also, enzymes that require vanadium have been found in lower forms of life. Thus, there is strong circumstantial evidence that vanadium is essential in higher forms of life. However, signs of vanadium deficiency have been difficult to establish because of the ubiquitous nature of this ultratrace element and the very low amount of vanadium apparently required by animals. The purpose of this research was to use a mathematical approach to separate from a myriad of experimental observations a small subset of parameters that could be used to determine the main response factors to vanadium deprivation in rats. These factors could then be used in efforts to provide the physiological explanation of observed biochemical and physiological changes. The results do suggest, that this mathematical approach can be useful in predicting dietary status from easily obtainable parameters (i.e., blood parameters). Thus, this method could be useful to help determine which parameters are the best or most appropriate status indicators for specific nutrients. This information could then be used, for example, in helping determine nutrient requirements for groups or individuals.

Technical Abstract: The purpose of this research was to use a mathematical approach (discriminant analysis) to separate from a myriad of experimental observations a small subset of parameters that could be used to determine the main response factors to vanadium deprivation in rats. These factors could then be used in efforts to provide the physiological explanation of observed biochemical and physiological changes. Data were provided from two independent experiments to check the robustness of the method. For acceptably large populations, it was observed that the numerical criteria of discriminant analysis were sufficiently stable. Hematological, plasma and enzyme data were found to be very reactive to the presence or absence of dietary vanadium. The results suggested that discriminant analysis was useful in predicting dietary status from easily obtainable parameters (i.e., blood parameters). In general, this method could be useful to help determine which parameters are the best or most appropriate status indicators for specific nutrients. This information could then be used, for example, to help determine nutrient requirements for groups or individuals.