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L J Goodyear

Publications and source records attributed to L J Goodyear.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Extracellular-regulated protein kinase cascades are activated in response to injury in human skeletal muscle.

The mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase signaling pathways are believed to act as critical signal transducers between stress stimuli and transcriptional responses in mammalian cells. However, it is not known whether these signaling cascades also participate in the response to injury in human tissues. To determine whether injury to the vastus lateralis muscle activates MAP kinase signaling in human subjects, two needle biopsies or open muscle biopsies were taken from the same incision site 30-60 min apart. The muscle biopsy procedures resulted in striking increases in dual phosphorylation of the extracellular-regulated kinases (ERK1 and ERK2) and in activity of the downstream substrate, the p90 ribosomal S6 kinase. Raf-1 kinase and MAP kinase kinase, upstream activators of ERK, were also markedly stimulated in all subjects. In addition, c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase and p38 kinase, components of two parallel MAP kinase pathways, were activated following muscle injury. The stimulation of the three MAP kinase cascades was present only in the immediate vicinity of the injury, a finding consistent with a local rather than systemic activation of these signaling cascades in response to injury. These data demonstrate that muscle injury induces the stimulation of the three MAP kinase cascades in human skeletal muscle, suggesting a physiological relevance of these protein kinases in the immediate response to tissue injury and possibly in the initiation of wound healing.

Biopsy, Needle↗

Evidence for 5' AMP-activated protein kinase mediation of the effect of muscle contraction on glucose transport.

The intracellular signaling proteins that lead to exercise-stimulated glucose transport in skeletal muscle have not been identified, although it is clear that there are separate signaling mechanisms for exercise- and insulin-stimulated glucose transport. We have hypothesized that the 5'AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) functions as a signaling intermediary in exercise-stimulated glucose uptake. This hypothesis was based on recent studies showing the following: 1) muscle contraction increases AMPK activity and 2) perfusion of rat hindlimb skeletal muscles with 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide ribonucleoside (AICAR), a compound that results in increased AMPK activity, increased insulin-stimulated glucose uptake. In the current study, isolated rat epitrochlearis muscles were treated to contract in vitro (via electrical stimulation for 10 min) and/or incubated in the absence or presence of AICAR (2 mmol/l), insulin (1 micromol/l), or wortmannin (100 nmol/l). Both contraction and AICAR significantly increased AMPK activity, while the enzyme was not activated by insulin. AICAR, contraction, and insulin all increased 3-O-methylglucose (3MG) transport by threefold to fivefold above basal. The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI 3-kinase) inhibitor wortmannin completely blocked insulin-stimulated transport, but did not inhibit AICAR- or contraction-stimulated transport. The increase in glucose transport with the combination of maximal AICAR plus maximal insulin treatments was partially additive, suggesting that these stimuli increase glucose transport by different mechanisms. In contrast, there was no additive effect on glucose transport with the combination of AICAR plus contraction. These data suggest that AICAR and contraction stimulate glucose transport by a similar insulin-independent signaling mechanism and are consistent with the hypothesis that AMPK is involved in exercise-stimulated glucose uptake.

AMP-Activated Protein Kinases↗

Epinephrine and insulin stimulate different mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathways in rat skeletal muscle.

Little is known about the regulation of the mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase signaling cascades by hormonal stimulation in vivo. The extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and the c-jun kinase (JNK) are two MAP kinase signaling pathways that could play a role in the cellular response to hormones such as insulin and epinephrine. We studied the effects of insulin (20 U/rat) and epinephrine (25 microg/100 g body wt) injected in vivo on ERK and JNK signaling in skeletal muscle from Sprague-Dawley rats. Insulin significantly increased ERK phosphorylation and the activity of its downstream substrate, the p90 ribosomal S6 kinase 2 (RSK2), by 1.4-fold, but it had no effect on JNK activity. In contrast, epinephrine had no effect on ERK phosphorylation or RSK2 activity, but it increased JNK activity by twofold, an effect that was inhibited by the presence of combined alpha and beta blockade. Furthermore, the phosphorylation of both p46 and p55 isoforms of JNK, measured by phosphospecific antibody, was increased severalfold. The activity and phosphorylation of MAP kinase kinase (MKK)-4, an upstream regulator of JNK, was unchanged by epinephrine. Incubation of isolated soleus muscles in vitro with epinephrine (10(-5) mol/l) also increased JNK activity by twofold. These data are the first to demonstrate that epinephrine can increase JNK activity. Insulin and epinephrine have different effects on MAP kinase signaling pathways in skeletal muscle, which may be one of the underlying molecular mechanisms through which these hormones regulate opposing metabolic functions.

Animals↗

Contractile activity stimulates the c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase pathway in rat skeletal muscle.

Contractile activity plays a critical role in the regulation of gene transcription in skeletal muscle, which in turn determines muscle functional capabilities. However, little is known about the molecular signaling mechanisms that convert contractile activity into gene regulatory responses in skeletal muscle. In the current study we determined the effects of contractile activity in vivo on the c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK) pathway, a signaling cascade that has been implicated in the regulation of transcription. Electrical stimulation of the sciatic nerve to produce contractions in anaesthetized rats increased JNK activity by up to 7-fold above basal. Maximal enzyme activity occurred at 15 min of contraction and remained elevated at 60 min of contraction. The upstream activators of JNK, the mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 4 and the mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase 1 followed a similar time course of activation in response to contractile activity. In contrast, contraction induced a rapid and transient activation of the extracellular-regulated kinase pathway, indicating that the regulation of JNK signaling is distinct from that of extracellular-regulated kinase. The activation of the JNK signaling cascade was temporally associated with an increased expression of c-jun mRNA. These results demonstrate that contractile activity regulates JNK activity in skeletal muscle and suggest that activation of JNK may regulate contraction-induced gene expression in skeletal muscle.

Animals↗

Exercise stimulates the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway in human skeletal muscle.

Physical exercise can cause marked alterations in the structure and function of human skeletal muscle. However, little is known about the specific signaling molecules and pathways that enable exercise to modulate cellular processes in skeletal muscle. The mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascade is a major signaling system by which cells transduce extracellular signals into intracellular responses. We tested the hypothesis that a single bout of exercise activates the MAPK signaling pathway. Needle biopsies of vastus lateralis muscle were taken from nine subjects at rest and after 60 min of cycle ergometer exercise. In all subjects, exercise increased MAPK phosphorylation, and the activity of its downstream substrate, the p90 ribosomal S6 kinase 2. Furthermore, exercise increased the activities of the upstream regulators of MAPK, MAP kinase kinase, and Raf-1. When two additional subjects were studied using a one-legged exercise protocol, MAPK phosphorylation and p90 ribosomal S6 kinase 2, MAP kinase kinase 1, and Raf-1 activities were increased only in the exercising leg. These studies demonstrate that exercise activates the MAPK cascade in human skeletal muscle and that this stimulation is primarily a local, tissue-specific phenomenon, rather than a systemic response to exercise. These findings suggest that the MAPK pathway may modulate cellular processes that occur in skeletal muscle in response to exercise.

Adult↗

Exercise regulation of glucose transport in skeletal muscle.

Exercise increases the rate of glucose uptake into the contracting skeletal muscles. This effect of exercise is similar to the action of insulin on glucose uptake, and the mechanism through which both stimuli increase skeletal muscle glucose uptake involves the translocation of GLUT-4 glucose transporters to the plasma membrane and transverse tubules. Most studies suggest that exercise and insulin recruit distinct GLUT-4-containing vesicles and/or mobilize different "pools" of GLUT-4 proteins originating from unique intracellular locations. There are different intracellular signaling pathways that lead to insulin- and exercise-stimulated GLUT-4 translocation. Insulin utilizes a phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-dependent mechanism, whereas the exercise signal may be initiated by calcium release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum leading to the activation of other signaling intermediaries, and there is also evidence for autocrine- or paracrine-mediated activation of transport. The period after exercise is characterized by increased sensitivity of muscle glucose uptake to insulin, which can be substantially prolonged in the face of carbohydrate deprivation. The ability of exercise to utilize insulin-independent mechanisms to increase glucose uptake in skeletal muscle has important clinical implications, especially for patients with diseases that are associated with peripheral insulin resistance, such as non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.

Animals↗

Effects of exercise and insulin on mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathways in rat skeletal muscle.

Studies in mammalian cells have established the existence of at least three distinct mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAP kinase) signaling pathways that are activated by a variety of growth factors and/or environmental stressors. We determined whether physical exercise, a physiological stressor, and insulin, a metabolic stimulator and growth factor, activate the c-jun NH2-terminus kinase (JNK), the p38 kinase, and/or the extracellular regulatory kinases (ERK; p42MAPK and p44MAPK) signaling pathways in rat skeletal muscle. Animals were studied immediately after running on a motorized treadmill for 10-60 min (20 m/min, 10% grade) or 5-30 min after an intraperitoneal injection of insulin (20 U/rat). Exercise increased skeletal muscle JNK activity by two- to threefold throughout the time course studied, whereas insulin did not significantly increase JNK activity. The p38 activity was slightly stimulated by exercise and not by insulin. The ERK kinase pathway, as assessed by ribosomal S6 kinase-2 activity assays and phosphospecific p42MAPK/p4NAPK immunoblotting, was stimulated by both exercise and insulin. These data are the first demonstration of exercise stimulating multiple intracellular signaling pathways in skeletal muscle. Activation of these MAP kinase signaling pathways may mediate changes in skeletal muscle growth and metabolism that occur in response to exercise.

Animals↗

Differential effects of insulin and exercise on Rab4 distribution in rat skeletal muscle.

Insulin and exercise cause the translocation of GLUT4 from an intracellular location to the plasma membrane in skeletal muscle. The purpose of this study was to determine if Rab4, a small GTP binding protein that has been implicated in the insulin-stimulated translocation of GLUT4 in adipose cells, is involved in the regulation of transporter translocation in skeletal muscle. Male rats were injected with insulin (20 U i.p.) or exercised on a treadmill(1 h, 20 m/min, 10% grade). Rats were killed 30 min after insulin injection or immediately after exercise, and the hind limb muscles dissected. Plasma membrane and intracellular microsomal membrane fractions were prepared, and the distribution of GLUT4 and Rab4 was determined by immunoblotting. Both insulin and exercise caused GLUT4 translocation as demonstrated by a decrease in microsomal membrane GLUT4 and an increase in plasma membrane GLUT4. In contrast, only insulin caused a decrease in Rab4 in the microsomal membrane. Rab4 was associated with GLUT4-containing vesicles isolated by immunoprecipitation. Rab4 was not detected in plasma membrane under any condition. These data demonstrate that insulin modulates the subcellular distribution of both GLUT4 and Rab4 in rats skeletal muscle, suggesting that Rab4 may play a role in the insulin-stimulated movement of GLUT4-containing vesicles. Although both insulin and exercise increase skeletal muscle glucose uptake by the translocation of GLUT4, the regulation of translocation may occur by different mechanisms.

Animals↗

Glucose ingestion causes GLUT4 translocation in human skeletal muscle.

In humans, ingestion of carbohydrates causes an increase in blood glucose concentration, pancreatic insulin release, and increased glucose disposal into skeletal muscle. The underlying molecular mechanism for the increase in glucose disposal in human skeletal muscle after carbohydrate ingestion is not known. We determined whether glucose ingestion increases glucose uptake in human skeletal muscle by increasing the number of glucose transporter proteins at the cell surface and/or by increasing the activity of the glucose transporter proteins in the plasma membrane. Under local anesthesia, approximately 1 g of vastus lateralis muscle was obtained from six healthy subjects before and 60 min after ingestion of a 75-g glucose load. Plasma membranes were isolated from the skeletal muscle and used to measure GLUT4 and GLUT1 content and glucose transport in plasma membrane vesicles. Glucose ingestion increased the plasma membrane content of GLUT4 per gram muscle (3,524 +/- 729 vs. 4,473 +/- 952 arbitrary units for basal and 60 min, respectively; P < 0.005). Transporter-mediated glucose transport into plasma membrane vesicles was also significantly increased (130 +/- 11 vs. 224 +/- 38 pmol.mg-1.s-1; P < 0.017), whereas the calculated ratio of glucose transport to GLUT4, an indication of transporter functional activity, was not significantly increased 60 min after glucose ingestion (2.3 +/- 0.4 vs. 3.0 +/- 0.5 pmol.GLUT4 arbitrary units-1.s-1; P < 0.17). These results demonstrate that oral ingestion of glucose increases the rate of glucose transport across the plasma membrane and causes GLUT4 translocation in human skeletal muscle. These findings suggest that under physiological conditions the translocation of GLUT4 is an important mechanism for the stimulation of glucose uptake in human skeletal muscle.

Biological Transport↗

Impaired insulin signaling in skeletal muscles from transgenic mice expressing kinase-deficient insulin receptors.

Transgenic mice which overexpress kinase-deficient human insulin receptors in muscle were used to study the relationship between insulin receptor tyrosine kinase and the in vivo activation of several downstream signaling pathways. Intravenous insulin stimulated insulin receptor tyrosine kinase activity by 7-fold in control muscle versus < or = 1.5-fold in muscle from transgenic mice. Similarly, insulin failed to stimulate tyrosyl phosphorylation of receptor beta-subunits or insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS-1) in transgenic muscle. Insulin substantially stimulated IRS-1-associated phosphatidylinositol (PI) 3-kinase in control versus absent stimulation in transgenic muscles. In contrast, insulin-like growth factor 1 modestly stimulated PI 3-kinase in both control and transgenic muscle. The effects of insulin to stimulate p42 mitogen-activated protein kinase and c-fos mRNA expression were also markedly impaired in transgenic muscle. Specific immunoprecipitation of human receptors followed by measurement of residual insulin receptors suggested the presence of hybrid mouse-human heterodimers. In contrast, negligible hybrid formation involving insulin-like growth factor 1 receptors was evident. We conclude that (i) transgenic expression of kinase-defective insulin receptors exerts dominant-negative effects at the level of receptor auto-phosphorylation and kinase activation; (ii) insulin receptor tyrosine kinase activity is required for in vivo insulin-stimulated IRS-1 phosphorylation, IRS-1-associated PI 3-kinase activation, phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinase, and c-fos gene induction in skeletal muscle; (iii) hybrid receptor formation is likely to contribute to the in vivo dominant-negative effects of kinase-defective receptor expression.

Animals↗

Effects of contractile activity on tyrosine phosphoproteins and PI 3-kinase activity in rat skeletal muscle.

Insulin stimulates signaling reactions that include insulin receptor autophosphorylation and tyrosine kinase activation, insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1) tyrosine phosphorylation, and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI 3-kinase) activation. Muscle contraction has metabolic effects similar to insulin, and contraction can increase insulin sensitivity, but little is known about the molecular signals that mediate the effects of contraction. To investigate the effects of muscle contraction on insulin signaling, rats were studied after contraction of hindlimb muscles by electrical stimulation, maximal insulin injection in the absence of contraction, or contraction followed by insulin injection. Insulin increased tyrosine phosphorylation of the insulin receptor and IRS-1, whereas contraction alone had no effect. Contraction before insulin injection decreased the insulin effect on receptor and IRS-1 phosphorylation by 20-25%. Increased tyrosine phosphorylation of other proteins by insulin and/or contraction was not observed. Contraction alone had little effect on PI 3-kinase activity, but contraction markedly blunted the insulin-stimulated activation of IRS-1 and insulin receptor-immunoprecipitable PI 3-kinase. In conclusion, skeletal muscle contractile activity does not result in tyrosine phosphorylation of molecules involved in the initial steps of insulin signaling. Although contractile activity increases insulin sensitivity and responsiveness in skeletal muscle, contraction causes a paradoxical decrease in insulin-stimulated tyrosine phosphorylation and PI 3-kinase activity.

Animals↗

Insulin receptor phosphorylation, insulin receptor substrate-1 phosphorylation, and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase activity are decreased in intact skeletal muscle strips from obese subjects.

To determine whether the impaired insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in obese individuals is associated with altered insulin receptor signaling, we measured both glucose uptake and early steps in the insulin action pathway in intact strips of human skeletal muscle. Biopsies of rectus abdominus muscle were taken from eight obese and eight control subjects undergoing elective surgery (body mass index 52.9 +/- 3.6 vs 25.7 +/- 0.9). Insulin-stimulated 2-deoxyglucose uptake was 53% lower in muscle strips from obese subjects. Additional muscle strips were incubated in the basal state or with 10(-7) M insulin for 2, 15, or 30 min. In the lean subjects, tyrosine phosphorylation of the insulin receptor and insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1), measured by immunoblotting with anti-phosphotyrosine antibodies, was significantly increased by insulin at all time points. In the skeletal muscle from the obese subjects, insulin was less effective in stimulating tyrosine phosphorylation (maximum receptor and IRS-1 phosphorylation decreased by 35 and 38%, respectively). Insulin stimulation of IRS-1 immunoprecipitable phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI 3-kinase) activity also was markedly lower in obese subjects compared with controls (10- vs 35-fold above basal, respectively). In addition, the obese subjects had a lower abundance of the insulin receptor, IRS-1, and the p85 subunit of PI 3-kinase (55, 54, and 64% of nonobese, respectively). We conclude that impaired insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in skeletal muscle from severely obese subjects is accompanied by a deficiency in insulin receptor signaling, which may contribute to decreased insulin action.

Adult↗

Exercise training increases GLUT-4 protein in rat adipose cells.

The relative abundance and subcellular distribution of the GLUT-1 and GLUT-4 glucose transporter isoforms were determined in basal and insulin-stimulated adipose cells from wheel cage exercise-trained rats and compared with both age-matched sedentary controls and young cell size-matched sedentary controls. Exercise training increased total estimated GLUT-4 by 67 and 54% compared with age-matched and young controls, respectively. Total estimated GLUT-1 per cell was not significantly different among the three groups. Expressed per cell, plasma membrane GLUT-4 protein in basal adipose cells from exercise-trained and age-matched control rats was 2.5-fold greater than in young controls (P < 0.05) and was associated with higher basal rates of glucose transport in these cells (P < 0.02). In insulin-stimulated cells, plasma membrane GLUT-4 was 67% greater in the exercise-trained animals than young controls (P < 0.01), and 31% greater than in age-matched controls. Rates of glucose transport were correspondingly higher. In basal cells, low-density microsomal GLUT-4 from exercise-trained rats was approximately twofold greater than from age-matched controls and young controls. With insulin stimulation, GLUT-4 in low-density microsomes decreased to similar levels in all groups. We conclude that the total amount of GLUT-4 protein, but not GLUT-1, is increased in adipose cells by exercise training and that this increase in GLUT-4 is due primarily to an increase in intracellular GLUT-4.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adipose Tissue↗

Glucocorticoid regulation of insulin receptor and substrate IRS-1 tyrosine phosphorylation in rat skeletal muscle in vivo.

To test the hypothesis that glucocorticoid-induced insulin resistance might originate from abnormalities in insulin receptor signaling, we investigated the effects of glucocorticoids on in vivo tyrosine phosphorylation of the insulin receptor and the insulin receptor substrate IRS-1 in rat skeletal muscle. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with cortisone (100 mg/kg for 5 d) and compared to pair-fed controls. Cortisone treatment of rats resulted in both hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia. Anesthetized animals were injected with 10 U/kg insulin via cardiac puncture and, after 2 min, hindlimb muscles were removed, snap-frozen, and homogenized in SDS. Protein tyrosine phosphorylation was studied by immunoblotting with phosphotyrosine antibody. Insulin receptors and substrate IRS-1 were identified and quantified with specific antibodies. Cortisone treatment increased the amount of insulin receptor protein by 36%, but decreased the total level of receptor tyrosine phosphorylation (69 +/- 4% of control, P < 0.05). The decreased level of receptor phosphorylation was explained by a reduced number of receptors containing phosphorylated tyrosine residues (64.6 +/- 5% of control, P < 0.05). Glucocorticoid excess decreased skeletal muscle IRS-1 content by 50%, but did not significantly alter the total level of IRS-1 tyrosine phosphorylation. The apparent M(r) of IRS-1 was reduced by approximately 10 kD. Treatment with protein phosphatase-2A reduced IRS-1 M(r) in control but not in glucocorticoid-treated muscle indicating that the lower M(r) likely results from lower phosphoserine and/or phosphothreonine content. To investigate the role of hyperinsulinemia in the glucocorticoid response, rats were made insulin-deficient with streptozotocin (100 mg/kg, i.p.). Subsequent treatment with cortisone for 5 d had no effects on insulin levels, tyrosine phosphorylation of insulin receptors or IRS-1, or the M(r) of IRS-1. In conclusion, glucocorticoid-treated skeletal muscle is characterized by: (a) decreased total tyrosine phosphorylation of insulin receptors as a result of a reduction in the pool of receptors undergoing tyrosine phosphorylation; (b) decreased IRS-1 content and reduced serine and/or threonine phosphorylation of IRS-1. Glucocorticoid-induced hyperinsulinemia appears to be essential for the development of these alterations.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Effect of exercise training and chronic glyburide treatment on glucose homeostasis in diabetic rats.

Exercise training and sulfonylurea treatment, either individually or in combination, were evaluated for their effects on plasma glucose concentrations, oral glucose tolerance, and glucose clearance in the perfused hindquarter of diabetic rats. Female rats that were injected with streptozocin (45 mg/kg iv) and had plasma glucose concentrations between 11 and 25 mM were considered diabetic and divided into sedentary, glyburide-treated, exercise-trained, and glyburide-treated plus exercise-trained groups. The sedentary streptozocin-treated rats were severely diabetic, as indicated by elevated glucose concentrations, impaired insulin response during oral glucose tolerance tests, and lower rates of glucose clearance in hindlimb skeletal muscle. Neither 8 wk of exercise training nor 4 wk of glyburide treatment alone improved these parameters. In contrast, the diabetic rats that were both trained and treated with glyburide showed some improvement in glucose homeostasis, as evidenced by lower plasma glucose concentrations, an enhanced insulin response to an oral glucose load, and a decrease in the severity of skeletal muscle insulin resistance compared with the diabetic controls. These data suggest that glyburide treatment or exercise training alone does not alter glucose homeostasis in severely insulin-deficient diabetic rats; however, the combination of exercise training and glyburide treatment may interact to improve glucose homeostasis in these animals.

Animals↗

Glucose transporter number, function, and subcellular distribution in rat skeletal muscle after exercise training.

Endurance exercise training can result in increased rates of insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in skeletal muscle; however, this effect may be lost rapidly once training ceases. To examine a mechanism for these changes, the skeletal-muscle glucose transport system of female rats exercise-trained in wheelcages for 6 wk were studied against a group of untrained female rats. The trained rats were studied immediately following and 2 and 5 days after removal from wheelcages; both trained and untrained rats were studied 30 min after insulin (90 nmol/rat, intraperitoneal) or saline injection. The total number of skeletal-muscle plasma-membrane glucose transporters (R0), total muscle-homogenate and plasma-membrane GLUT4 protein, and rates of plasma-membrane vesicle D-facilitated glucose transport were higher in the exercise-trained rats immediately after exercise training and did not decrease significantly during the 5 days after cessation of training. On the other hand, exercise training did not alter microsomal-membrane total glucose-transporter number or GLUT4 protein, nor did training alter GLUT1 protein in total muscle homogenates nor either membrane fraction. The carrier-turnover number, an estimate of average functional activity of glucose transporters in the plasma membrane, was elevated slightly, but not significantly, in the trained muscle. In both the trained and untrained muscle, insulin administration resulted in translocation of glucose transporters from the microsomal-membrane fraction to the plasma membrane and an increase in the carrier-turnover number.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

4-Nitrophenylphosphatase↗

Exercise training normalizes glucose metabolism in a rat model of impaired glucose tolerance.

The purpose of this study was to characterize an animal model of impaired glucose tolerance produced by streptozocin treatment of rats (45 mg/kg, intravenously [i.v.]) and selection of animals with plasma glucose concentrations less than 150 mg/dL. In addition, we determined the effects of physical training on glucose tolerance and metabolism in these animals. During 10 weeks of monitoring, it was determined that these animals have nearly normal plasma glucose concentrations; however, they have an impaired glucose tolerance when challenged with an oral glucose load. They also have normal fasting insulin, free fatty acid, and triglyceride concentrations, normal body weight and food consumption patterns, and normal rates of skeletal muscle glucose uptake, but impaired basal and insulin-stimulated glucose metabolism in isolated adipose cells. Ten weeks of exercise training normalized both the impaired glucose tolerance and adipose cell function present in the untrained streptozocin-treated rats. Low-dose streptozocin treatment of rats with appropriate selection of animals based on plasma glucose concentrations appears to be an excellent model of impaired glucose tolerance for studies of factors affecting insulin resistance and altered glucose metabolism.

Adipose Tissue↗

Glucose transporter number, activity, and isoform content in plasma membranes of red and white skeletal muscle.

The fiber type composition of a skeletal muscle is an important determinant of its ability to take up glucose. Although numerous factors may account for this phenomenon, we have hypothesized that fiber type differences in glucose transporter number, isoform content, and/or intrinsic activity play an important role. Skeletal muscle plasma membranes were prepared from red and white gastrocnemius muscle from male Sprague-Dawley rats that were either exercised on a treadmill (1 h, 20 m/min, 10% grade), injected with 20 U insulin, or remained sedentary. In sedentary rats, plasma membrane glucose transporter number (cytochalasin B binding) was 2.4-fold greater in red compared with white muscle. Exercise and insulin both increased glucose transporter number by 40% in red muscle and twofold in white muscle. Maximal velocity of glucose transport (Vmax) was 2-fold greater in red compared with white muscle, whereas exercise and insulin increased Vmax by 2.3-fold in red muscle and 3.6-fold in white muscle. Glucose transporter turnover number, a measure of the average intrinsic activity of transporters in the plasma membrane, was not different between red and white muscle and increased 80-90% with exercise and insulin in both red and white muscle. Both GLUT-1 and GLUT-4 isoform content were greater in red than white muscle. These results suggest that fiber type differences in rates of glucose uptake in resting, insulin-stimulated, and contraction-stimulated skeletal muscle may be due to differences in the number but not the intrinsic activity of glucose transporter proteins.

Animals↗