Vanadate stimulates rat pancreatic enzyme secretion through the release of calcium from an intracellular store.

Orthovanadate accelerates 45Ca efflux and enzyme secretion from the rat pancreas incubated in either control (2.5 mM Ca) or nominally Ca-free buffers. Secretion induced by vanadate does not appear to be mediated by changes in either adenylate cyclase or sodium pump activity. Instead, vanadate appears to act at an intracellular site to cause the release of calcium from the same pool mobilised by acetylcholine. Vanadate action is not inhibited by DIDS. The effect of pH on vanadate action may be accounted for by changes in the distribution of the vanadates. Vanadyl sulphate inhibits secretion evoked by acetylcholine. This suggests that intracellular reduction of vanadate (+5 oxidation state) to the +4 oxidation state may account for an inhibitory component observed during stimulation with vanadate.