LACK OF HEMATOLOGICAL EFFECT OF ORAL VANADIUM TREATMENT IN RATS

Haematological effects of oral administration of ammonium metavanadate 0.19 mmol V/kg/day, vanadyl sulphate 0.15 mmol V/kg/day, and bis(maltolato)oxovanadium (IV) 0.18 mmol V/kg/day in drinking water for 12 weeks were investigated in Wistar rats. Some selected haematological indices of the peripheral blood including haematocrit, haemoglobin, erythrocyte count, reticulocyte percentage, leukocyte count and its differential count, platelet count, and osmotic fragility of the erythrocyte were determined using the standard methods. It was found that, throughout the 12-week experimental period, there were no significant differences between the untreated controls and various groups of vanadium-treated rats in all of the parameters measured. It is thus concluded that ammonium metavanadate, vanadyl sulphate, and bis(maltolato) oxovanadium (IV), at least at the doses and at the duration of treatment employed, do not produce significant haematological toxicity in rats.