Effects of three and eight weeks oral administration of bis(maltolato)oxovanadium(IV) on plasma homocysteine and cysteine levels in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.

Background: Diabetes mellitus is one of the leading causes of illness and death in North America. Cardiovascular diseases are a common secondary complication in the diabetic population. One of the important risk factors identified for the development of cardiovascular disease is an elevation in the sulfur amino acid, homocysteine.