Role of vanadium in endemic diseases in Northeast Thailand

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In order to identify possible causes of sudden unexplained death syndrome (SUDS) -related endemic diseases (including distal renal tubular acidosis, hypokalemic periodic paralysis and urinary stone) in North-East Thailand, a fieldwork and laboratory investigations were carried out.1. FieldworkWe visited villagers in Yasothorn district whose members were suffered from SUDS,and made interviews. As analytical samples, their blood, urine, water and soil were collected for the determination of various elements including Vanadate (V).1) Genetic factorsSince the local definition of SUDS is different from clinical one, it was difficult to identify a possibility of genetic diathesis. Nevertheless, blood and urine samples were collected from a limited number of SUDS-relatives for further analysis of DNA to look for abnormal genes in familiar QT elongation syndrome.2) Acquired factorsWe analyzed 43 different elements in the collected samples from North-East (NE) and Bangkok (BK) as controls. Vanadium contents in soils and water revealed no difference between NE and BK,whereas contents of Ca, Mg, K and Pb in soil were higher in BK than NE.Only Na in NE was higher than NE.V contents in plasma and urine in NE villagers were higher than BK.These results suggest that even under low plasma K in NE villagers their intracellular K could be maintained at relatively high levels, and that one of causes of the endemic diseases may be disturbance of this K-retaining mechanism.2. Animal model experimentsThe treatment of rats with low potassium diet for longer time than 1 month cased hypo-potassemia, and revealed abnormality in cardiac and renal functions. Since no SUDS occurred under the hypo K,additional factors e.g.low Mg should be investigated.