Vanadium Compounds in Experimental Diabetes: Preclinical Evidence on Hyperglycemia, Dyslipidemia, and Mechanistic Pathways from a Scoping Review

Vanadium compounds are among the most extensively investigated insulin-mimetic agents for diabetes mellitus (DM), with reported effects on glucose homeostasis, lipid metabolism, and insulin-related signaling. However, preclinical evidence remains highly heterogeneous due to differences in compound chemistry and experimental design. Then, this study mapped and synthesized preclinical evidence on the effects of vanadium-based compounds on hyperglycemia and dyslipidemia in animal models of DM. This scoping review followed Joanna Briggs Institute methodology and PRISMA-ScR guidelines. PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched without date restrictions. Eligible studies included diabetic animal models treated with vanadium compounds reporting glycemic and/or lipid outcomes. Data extraction covered compound characteristics, experimental models, intervention protocols, metabolic outcomes, safety, mechanistic findings, and methodological quality using the SYRCLE risk-of-bias tool. A total of 104 studies published between 1989 and 2024 were included. Streptozotocin-induced diabetes was the predominant model (77/104), and rats, particularly Wistar rats (50/104), were the most frequently used species. Inorganic salts and organic complexes were equally represented (52 each). Oral administration and repeated-treatment protocols predominated (100/104). Most studies reported reductions in fasting glucose, improved glucose tolerance, and favorable modulation of insulin signaling, antioxidant defenses, and hepatic metabolism. Lipid outcomes, assessed in 61 studies, generally demonstrated reductions in triglycerides, total cholesterol, and hepatic lipid accumulation. Sankey analysis identified dominant experimental pathways centered on streptozotocin models receiving oral vanadium treatment, whereas SYRCLE assessment revealed frequent deficiencies in reporting randomization, allocation concealment, and blinding, resulting in predominantly unclear risk-of-bias judgments. Vanadium compounds consistently improved glycemic control and frequently ameliorated diabetic dyslipidemia. Coordination chemistry and ligand design appear to be major determinants of therapeutic performance, although improving methodological rigor and reporting quality will be essential to strengthen the translational value of future preclinical research.