This document summarizes a study on the inhibition of human alkaline phosphatases by vanadate. The key findings are:
1) Vanadate (orthovanadate) was found to be a potent competitive inhibitor of purified alkaline phosphatase from human liver, intestine and kidney, with a Ki of less than 1 microM.
2) The inhibitory effect of vanadate was reversed and full enzymatic activity was restored in the presence of 1mM adrenaline.
3) Phosphate and vanadate were found to compete for the same binding site on the enzyme.