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PubMed2000

Preservation of glucose metabolism in hypertrophic GLUT4-null hearts.

GLUT4-null mice lacking the insulin-sensitive glucose transporter are not diabetic but do exhibit abnormalities in glucose and lipid metabolism. The most striking morphological consequence of ablating GLUT4 is cardiac hypertrophy. GLUT4-null hearts display characteristics of hypertrophy caused by hypertension. However, GLUT4-null mice have normal blood pressure and maintain a normal cardiac contractile protein profile. Unexpectedly, although they lack the predominant glucose transporter in the heart, GLUT4-null hearts transport glucose and synthesize glycogen at normal levels, but gene expression of rate-limiting enzymes involved in fatty acid oxidation is decreased. The GLUT4-null heart represents a unique model of hypertrophy that may be used to study the consequences of altered substrate utilization in normal and pathophysiological conditions.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Adipocytes support cAMP-dependent translocation of aquaporin-2 from intracellular sites distinct from the insulin-responsive GLUT4 storage compartment.

Aquaporin-2 (AQP2), when expressed in fully differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes, displays cAMP-dependent plasma membrane translocation in a manner similar to its behavior in renal epithelial cells. The translocation of AQP2 required phosphorylation at serine 256, as the expression of AQP2/S256D was constitutively plasma membrane localized, whereas AQP2/S256A was refractory to forskolin stimulation. Unlike GLUT4, this property is not inhibited by depolymerization of cortical actin. In addition, coexpression with the dominant negative form of TC10 (TC10/T31N) or inhibition of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase did not abrogate the cAMP-mediated response. Under basal conditions, AQP2 is localized in both the perinuclear region and in punctate vesicles scattered within the periphery of the cell. Two- and three-dimensional confocal immunofluorescence microscopy demonstrated that the adipocyte AQP2 cAMP-responsive compartment was distinct from the GLUT4 insulin-responsive compartment. Consistent with this conclusion, insulin was an effective stimulator of GLUT4 translocation but had no effect on AQP2. Conversely, forskolin induced AQP2 translocation but not GLUT4. Colocalization studies with the early endosomal marker EEA1 and transferrin receptor suggested that the AQP2 compartment is mostly distinct from endosomal vesicles. Interestingly, however, the peripheral AQP2 vesicles significantly overlapped vesicle-associated membrane protein-2, underscoring the role of the latter in hormone-regulated exocytosis. To acquire insulin responsiveness following biosynthesis, GLUT4 undergoes a slow sorting step that requires 6-9 h. In contrast, AQP2 rapidly acquires forskolin responsiveness (3 h following biosynthesis) and directly enters the cAMP-regulated compartment without transiting the plasma membrane. Together, these data demonstrate that adipocytes display two different intracellular sorting mechanisms that direct distinct hormone-sensitive partitioning of GLUT4 and AQP2.

Adipocytes↗
PubMed2006

Acute exercise and GLUT4 expression in human skeletal muscle: influence of exercise intensity.

To examine the influence of exercise intensity on the increases in vastus lateralis GLUT4 mRNA and protein after exercise, six untrained men exercised for 60 min at 39 +/- 3% peak oxygen consumption (V(O2 peak)) (Lo) or 27 +/- 2 min at 83 +/- 2% V(O2 peak) (Hi) in counterbalanced order. Preexercise muscle glycogen levels were not different between trials (Lo: 408 +/- 35 mmol/kg dry mass; Hi: 420 +/- 43 mmol/kg dry mass); however, postexercise levels were lower (P < 0.05) in Hi (169 +/- 18 mmol/kg dry mass) compared with Lo (262 +/- 35 mmol/kg dry mass). Thus calculated muscle glycogen utilization was greater (P < 0.05) in Hi (251 +/- 24 mmol/kg) than in Lo (146 +/- 34). Exercise resulted in similar increases in GLUT4 gene expression in both trials. GLUT4 mRNA was increased immediately at the end of exercise (approximately 2-fold; P < 0.05) and remained elevated after 3 h of postexercise recovery. When measured 3 h after exercise, total crude membrane GLUT4 protein levels were 106% higher in Lo (3.3 +/- 0.7 vs. 1.6 +/- 0.3 arbitrary units) and 61% higher in Hi (2.9 +/- 0.5 vs. 1.8 +/- 0.5 arbitrary units) relative to preexercise levels. A main effect for exercise was observed, with no significant differences between trials. In conclusion, exercise at approximately 40 and approximately 80% V(O2 peak), with total work equal, increased GLUT4 mRNA and GLUT4 protein in human skeletal muscle to a similar extent, despite differences in exercise intensity and duration.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

The tumor suppressor p53 down-regulates glucose transporters GLUT1 and GLUT4 gene expression.

Tumorigenesis is associated with enhanced cellular glucose uptake and increased metabolism. Because the p53 tumor suppressor is mutated in a large number of cancers, we evaluated whether p53 regulates expression of the GLUT1 and GLUT4 glucose transporter genes. Transient cotransfection of osteosarcoma-derived SaOS-2 cells, rhabdomyosarcoma-derived RD cells, and C2C12 myotubes with GLUT1-P-Luc or GLUT4-P-Luc promoter-reporter constructs and wild-type p53 expression vectors dose dependently decreased both GLUT1 and GLUT4 promoter activity to approximately 50% of their basal levels. PG(13)-Luc activity, which was used as a positive control for functional p53 expression, was increased up to approximately 250-fold by coexpression of wild-type p53. The inhibitory effect of wild-type p53 was greatly reduced or abolished when cells were transfected with p53 with mutations in amino acids 143, 248, or 273. A region spanning -66/+163 bp of the GLUT4 promoter was both necessary and sufficient to mediate the inhibitory effects of p53. Furthermore, in vitro translated p53 protein was found to bind directly to two sequences in that region. p53-DNA binding was completely abolished by excess unlabeled probe but not by nonspecific DNA and was super-shifted by the addition of an anti-p53 antibody. Taken together, our data strongly suggest that wild-type p53 represses GLUT1 and GLUT4 gene transcription in a tissue-specific manner. Mutations within the DNA-binding domain of p53, which are usually associated with malignancy, were found to impair the repressive effect of p53 on transcriptional activity of the GLUT1 and GLUT4 gene promoters, thereby resulting in increased glucose metabolism and cell energy supply. This, in turn, would be predicted to facilitate tumor growth.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Ischemia induces translocation of the insulin-responsive glucose transporter GLUT4 to the plasma membrane of cardiac myocytes.

BACKGROUND: Acute myocardial ischemia is accompanied by an increase in glucose uptake and metabolism, which appears to be important in protecting myocardial cells from irreversible ischemic injury. Because insulin augments myocardial glucose uptake by inducing the translocation of glucose transporters from an intracellular compartment to the plasma membrane, we hypothesized that acute ischemia would trigger a similar translocation. METHODS AND RESULTS: We used a subcellular fractionation method to separate intracellular membrane and plasma membranes from control, ischemic, and hypoxic Langendorff-isolated perfused rat hearts and determined the expression of the major myocardial glucose transporter, GLUT4, in these separated membrane fractions. We found that translocation of GLUT4 molecules occurred in ischemic, hypoxic, and insulin-treated hearts and in hearts that underwent ischemia plus insulin treatment. The percentages of GLUT4 molecules present on the plasma membrane in the different conditions were as follows: control, 18.0 +/- 2.8%; ischemia, 41.3 +/- 9.4%; hypoxia, 31.1 +/- 2.9%; insulin, 61.1 +/- 2.6%; and ischemia plus insulin, 66.8 +/- 5.7%. Among the statistically significant differences in these values were the difference between control and ischemia and the difference between ischemia alone and insulin plus ischemia. CONCLUSIONS: Ischemia causes substantial translocation of GLUT4 molecules to the plasma membrane of cardiac myocytes. A combination of insulin plus ischemia stimulates an even greater degree of GLUT4 translocation. GLUT4 translocation is likely to mediate at least part of the increased glucose uptake of ischemic myocardium and may be a mechanism for the cardioprotective effect of insulin during acute myocardial ischemia.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Glucose toxicity and the development of diabetes in mice with muscle-specific inactivation of GLUT4.

Using cre/loxP gene targeting, transgenic mice with muscle-specific inactivation of the GLUT4 gene (muscle GLUT4 KO) were generated and shown to develop a diabetes phenotype. To determine the mechanism, we examined insulin-stimulated glucose uptake and metabolism during hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp in control and muscle GLUT4 KO mice before and after development of diabetes. Insulin-stimulated whole body glucose uptake was decreased by 55% in muscle GLUT4 KO mice, an effect that could be attributed to a 92% decrease in insulin-stimulated muscle glucose uptake. Surprisingly, insulin's ability to stimulate adipose tissue glucose uptake and suppress hepatic glucose production was significantly impaired in muscle GLUT4 KO mice. To address whether these latter changes were caused by glucose toxicity, we treated muscle GLUT4 KO mice with phloridzin to prevent hyperglycemia and found that insulin-stimulated whole body and skeletal muscle glucose uptake were decreased substantially, whereas insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in adipose tissue and suppression of hepatic glucose production were normal after phloridzin treatment. In conclusion, these findings demonstrate that a primary defect in muscle glucose transport can lead to secondary defects in insulin action in adipose tissue and liver due to glucose toxicity. These secondary defects contribute to insulin resistance and to the development of diabetes.

Adipose Tissue↗
PubMed2006

Long-term metformin treatment stimulates cardiomyocyte glucose transport through an AMP-activated protein kinase-dependent reduction in GLUT4 endocytosis.

Long-term (18 h) metformin treatment of cardiomyocytes increased glucose transport activity 3- to 5-fold, as measured using the phosphorylated sugar 2-deoxy-D-glucose and the nonphosphorylated sugar 3-O-methyl-D-glucose. The affinity for 3-O-methyl-D-glucose transport was not increased by metformin treatment. Total levels of glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) were not changed by 18-h culture with or without insulin or metformin treatment. GLUT1 levels were elevated after 18 h in culture, but this increase was not altered by insulin or metformin treatment. Metformin-induced stimulation of transport was not inhibited by treatment with wortmannin and was additive with that of insulin. These data suggest that the metformin effect is mediated by a signaling route independent of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and Akt. Surprisingly, however, levels of both phospho-AMP-activated protein kinase and phospho-Akt were increased 4- and 3-fold, respectively, after metformin treatment. Chronic treatment with insulin for 18 h led to down-regulation of insulin-stimulated glucose transport. Cotreatment with metformin bypassed this insulin resistance by maintaining high transport levels. These data also indicate an independent point of convergence of metformin and insulin stimuli on GLUT4 regulatory processes. To test the possibility of altered GLUT4 subcellular trafficking, the kinetics of GLUT4 exocytosis and endocytosis were determined. Metformin treatment markedly slowed endocytosis of GLUT4, but exocytosis was not increased. We conclude that metformin treatment leads to a longer residence time of GLUT4 in the plasma membrane due to an AMP-activated protein kinase-dependent reduction in endocytosis. This accounts for metformin's ability to enhance hexose transport activity above insulin-stimulated and Akt-dependent levels.

AMP-Activated Protein Kinases↗
PubMed1997

Effects of thyroid hormone on GLUT4 glucose transporter gene expression and NIDDM in rats.

Previous studies have shown that T3 coordinately stimulates GLUT4-glucose transporter messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein expression in mixed fiber-type skeletal muscle of the rat and produces a concomitant elevation in basal (noninsulin mediated) glucose uptake. The aim of the present study was to 1) determine the precise mechanism(s) for the T3-induced expression of GLUT4 in skeletal muscle, and 2) investigate the potential benefits of T3 on noninsulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). Ten daily ip injections of T3 (100 micrograms/100 g BW) administered to hypothyroid male Sprague-Dawley rats, increased both GLUT4 mRNA and transcription approximately 70% (P < 0.05) in mixed fiber-type hindlimb skeletal muscle. Transcriptional induction was subsequently defined to be restricted to red (oxidative) muscle fibers (2.5-fold; P < 0.05), whereas GLUT4 protein was increased in both red and white (glycolytic) skeletal muscle. GLUT4 mRNA and protein expression were similarly inducible in the skeletal muscle of insulin-resistant Zucker rats. More importantly, T3 treatment totally ameliorated hyperinsulinemia in obese animals (P < 0.001), although their moderately elevated plasma glucose levels were not significantly altered. In conclusion, regulation of GLUT4 expression by T3 was shown to lie at the transcriptional level in red skeletal muscle, whereas in white muscle fiber types, it appears to operate via an alternative posttranscriptional mechanism. These data also support the potential of hormonally inducing glucose transporter expression in insulin-resistant muscle. However, high levels of T3 are associated with a number of adverse side-effects, in particular the stimulation of hepatic gluconeogenesis. Nevertheless, future studies may demonstrate, e.g. subthyrotoxic levels, to be similarly effective but without side effects, and thus perhaps find a clinical application in reducing both hyperinsulinemia and hyperglycemia in NIDDM.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Amelioration of insulin resistance in streptozotocin diabetic mice by transgenic overexpression of GLUT4 driven by an adipose-specific promoter.

In diabetic rodents and humans, glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) expression is suppressed in adipocytes in association with insulin resistance. Transgenic mice overexpressing GLUT4 selectively in fat have enhanced glucose disposal in vivo and massively increased glucose transport in adipocytes. To determine whether overexpression can be maintained in diabetes and whether it can prevent insulin resistance, we rendered wild-type and transgenic mice diabetic with streptozotocin. After 12-14 days, blood glucose was more than 21.4 mM and plasma insulin was 1.06 ng/ml or less in both diabetic groups in the fed state. Body weight was reduced and gonadal fat pad weight and adipocyte size were 52-75% smaller in both nontransgenic and transgenic diabetic mice, compared with nondiabetic. Basal and maximally-stimulated rates of lipolysis were similar in adipocytes from nontransgenic and transgenic mice, but the ED50 for isoproterenol stimulation was 50% lower in transgenic mice. There was no difference in the sensitivity to insulin to inhibit lipolysis. In adipocytes of nontransgenic diabetic mice, GLUT4 protein was reduced 34%, with a 46% reduction in insulin stimulated glucose transport. In contrast, in adipocytes of transgenic diabetic mice, GLUT4 remained 21-fold overexpressed, resulting in 21-fold increased basal and 10-fold increased insulin stimulated glucose transport. Injection of insulin (0.7 mU/g BW) resulted in a 35% decrease in blood glucose in transgenic diabetic mice (P < 0.05), with no effect in nontransgenic diabetic mice. Thus, high-level overexpression of GLUT4 driven by a fat specific promoter can be maintained with insulinopenic diabetes, even when fat cell metabolism is markedly altered. Overexpression of GLUT4 in adipocytes prevents insulin resistant glucose transport at the cellular level and improves insulin action in vivo, even with overt diabetes.

Adipocytes↗
PubMed1997

Physiological role of Akt in insulin-stimulated translocation of GLUT4 in transfected rat adipose cells.

Stimulation of glucose transport is among the most important metabolic actions of insulin. Studies in adipose cells have demonstrated that insulin stimulates its receptor to phosphorylate tyrosine residues in IRS-1, leading to activation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, which plays a necessary role in mediating the translocation of the insulin-responsive glucose transporter GLUT4 to the cell surface. Akt is a serine-threonine kinase recently identified as a direct downstream target of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase. A previous study in 3T3-L1 cells showed that overexpression of a constitutively active mutant of Akt is sufficient to recruit GLUT4 to the cell surface. Since effects of overexpression of signaling molecules in tissue culture models do not always reflect physiological function, we have overexpressed a dominant inhibitory mutant of Akt in rat adipose cells to investigate the effects of inhibiting endogenous Akt in a physiologically relevant insulin target cell. Cells were transfected with either wild type (Akt-WT), constitutively active (Akt-myr), or dominant inhibitory (Akt-K179A) forms of Akt, and effects of overexpression of these constructs on insulin-stimulated translocation of a cotransfected epitope-tagged GLUT4 were studied. Overexpression of Akt-WT resulted in significant translocation of GLUT4 to the cell surface even in the absence of insulin. Interestingly, overexpression of Akt-myr resulted in an even larger effect that was independent of insulin. More importantly, overexpression of Akt-K179A (kinase-inactive mutant) significantly inhibited insulin-stimulated translocation of GLUT4. Taken together, our data suggest that Akt is not only capable of stimulating the translocation of GLUT4 but that endogenous Akt is likely to play a significant physiological role in insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in insulin targets such as muscle and adipose tissue.

Adipocytes↗
PubMed2004

Insulin but not PDGF relies on actin remodeling and on VAMP2 for GLUT4 translocation in myoblasts.

Insulin promotes the translocation of glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) from intracellular pools to the surface of muscle and fat cells via a mechanism dependent on phosphatidylinositol (PtdIns) 3-kinase, actin cytoskeletal remodeling and the v-SNARE VAMP2. The growth factor PDGF-BB also robustly activates PtdIns 3-kinase and induces actin remodeling, raising the question of whether it uses similar mechanisms to insulin in mobilizing GLUT4. In L6 myoblasts stably expressing Myc-tagged GLUT4, neither stimulus affected the rate of GLUT4 endocytosis, confirming that they act primarily by enhancing exocytosis to increase GLUT4 at the cell surface. Although surface GLUT4myc in response to insulin peaked at 10 minutes and remained steady for 30 minutes, PDGF action was transient, peaking at 5 minutes and disappearing by 20 minutes. These GLUT4myc translocation time courses mirrored that of phosphorylation of Akt by the two stimuli. Interestingly, insulin and PDGF caused distinct manifestations of actin remodeling. Insulin induced discrete, long (>5 microm) dorsal actin structures at the cell periphery, whereas PDGF induced multiple short (<5 microm) dorsal structures throughout the cell, including above the nucleus. Latrunculin B, cytochalasin D and jasplakinolide, which disrupt actin dynamics, prevented insulin- and PDGF-induced actin remodeling but significantly inhibited GLUT4myc translocation only in response to insulin (75-85%, P<0.05), not to PDGF (20-30% inhibition). Moreover, transfection of tetanus toxin light chain, which cleaves the v-SNAREs VAMP2 and VAMP3, reduced insulin-induced GLUT4myc translocation by >70% but did not affect the PDGF response. These results suggest that insulin and PDGF rely differently on the actin cytoskeleton and on tetanus-toxin-sensitive VAMPs for mobilizing GLUT4.

Actins↗
PubMed2000

Intracellular targeting and retention of the glucose transporter GLUT4 by the perinuclear storage compartment involves distinct carboxyl-tail motifs.

The mechanisms by which the insulin-sensitive glucose transporter, GLUT4, is targeted and retained in a storage compartment near to the Golgi complex are poorly understood. Here we report that removal of the carboxyl-terminal acidic Pro(505)AspGluAsnAsp(509) sequence prevents the storage of GLUT4 in the VAMP-2 positive compartment adjacent to the Golgi complex (GSC), and results in its targeting to GLUT4-positive vesicles and Rab7-positive late endosomes. Storage of the truncated GLUT4 in the GSC is restored by substitution of Phe for the Tyr(502) residue adjacent to Pro(505) or by treatment of cells with the tyrosine kinase inhibitor genistein. Ablation of the Leu(489)Leu(490)-based motif prevents the targeting of GLUT4delta5 to GLUT4-positive-vesicles and late endosomes as well as the retention of GLUT4delta5Phe(502 )by the GSC. These results are consisting with a model of GLUT4 transport in which the targeting of the protein from the TGN to the GSC is mediated by the Leu(489)Leu(490)-based motif and its release from the GSC involves Tyr(502 )and the adjacent carboxyl-terminal Pro(505)AspGluAsnAsp(509) sequence.

3T3 Cells↗
PubMed1991

Immunolocalization of glucose transporter GLUT4 within human skeletal muscle.

To investigate the cellular and subcellular distribution of glucose transporters in skeletal muscle, the glucose transporter isoform GLUT4 was localized in human muscle by electron microscopy via immunogold labeling with monoclonal (1F8) or COOH-terminal peptide polyclonal (ECU4) antibody and in isolated rat membranes by Western blot. There was no labeling of GLUT4 in endothelial cells of the capillaries. There also was no labeling of GLUT4 on the surface plasma membrane (sarcolemma) under either basal or insulin-stimulated conditions. Specific labeling for GLUT4 was clearly observed in two compartments: within the triad (on terminal cisternae and transverse tubules) and on an intracellular compartment, possibly sarcoplasmic tubules. Isolated triad membranes from rat muscle also contained substantial quantities of GLUT4 transporter, but there was no detectable GLUT4 protein in isolated sarcolemmal membranes. These data suggest a possible mechanism that involves glucose transport across the muscle cell at the transverse tubule membrane, not the sarcolemma.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Subcellular localization of GLUT4 in nonstimulated and insulin-stimulated soleus muscle of rat.

Soleus muscles of fed rats were fixed by vascular perfusion with paraformaldehyde; individual fibers were teased and immunostained with a polyclonal antibody against the COOH-terminal of GLUT4. The binding sites were visualized by a horseradish peroxidase-coupled secondary antibody and diaminobenzidine. The fibers were embedded in epoxy resin and studied by electron microscopy. Strong immunoreactivity was found in subsarcolemmal clusters of vesicles and cisternae, Golgilike structures, and triadic junctions. Clusters of vesicles between myofibrils were occasionally stained. The plasma membrane was unlabeled. However, the plasma membrane was labeled when the rats had been injected with insulin (40 U/kg body wt) 15 min before perfusion fixation. In non-insulin-injected rats, the plasma membrane might show spotty staining close to clusters of intensely labeled subsarcolemmal vesicles. This may have been due to diffusion but may also indicate that there are domains of GLUT4 in the plasma membrane of nonstimulated fibers or that the endogenous insulin activity to some extent had translocated GLUT4 from the intracellular pool into the plasma membrane. Coated vesicles that were also labeled were found adjacent to subsarcolemmal vesicles and cisternae; it is possible that coated vesicles play a role during insulin- or contraction-induced translocation of GLUT4 between subsarcolemmal pool and plasma membrane. It has been proposed that glucose uptake into skeletal muscle fibers takes place across the t-tubule membrane rather than across the plasma membrane. This would explain the presence of GLUT4 at triadic junctions. Alternatively, we suggest that GLUT4 in t-tubules represents a second intracellular pool.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Metformin blocks downregulation of cell surface GLUT4 caused by chronic insulin treatment of rat adipocytes.

Large decreases in insulin-responsive glucose transport occur in rat adipocytes maintained in culture for 24 h in the continuous presence of insulin. After 24 h in culture, an acute treatment with insulin increased 3-O-methyl-D-glucose transport by only approximately fivefold. In chronically insulin-treated cells, the transport activity was more severely reduced. The transport activity was only approximately twofold higher than in basal cells. To attribute changes in transport to alterations in cell surface transporters, we labeled the cell surface GLUT4 and GLUT1 transporters with the impermeant photoaffinity label 2-N-[4-(1-azi-2,2,2-trifluoroethyl)benzoyl]-1,3-bis(D-mannos -4-yloxy)-2- propylamine. Cell surface labeling was compared with the labeling obtained in digitonin-permeabilized cells where the normally impermeant reagent had access to the total cellular pool of transporters. Labeling showed that in basal cells the proportions of GLUT4 and GLUT1 at the cell surface were 20 and 22% of the total. After an acute treatment with insulin, the proportions of GLUT4 and GLUT1 at the cell surface were increased to 49 and 37% of the total, respectively. The chronic insulin treatment was associated with a very low proportion of GLUT4 (25% of the total) at the cell surface. The downregulation of GLUT4 observed after chronic insulin treatment was alleviated by metformin, and the proportion of GLUT4 at the cell surface was maintained at 60% of the total.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adipose Tissue↗
PubMed1994

Thyroid hormone increases basal and insulin-stimulated glucose transport in skeletal muscle. The role of GLUT4 glucose transporter expression.

In skeletal muscle, the main site of insulin-mediated glucose disposal, the major muscle glucose transporter GLUT4 is induced by thyroid hormone. To test the hypothesis that thyroid hormone alters muscle glucose transport, we examined the effect of L-triiodothyronine (T3) on glucose transport and GLUT4 protein content in isolated rat skeletal muscles. Euthyroid rats were treated with or without T3 for 3 days, and [3H]2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG) uptake in soleus and extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscles was measured under conditions in which transport was rate limiting for uptake in the absence or presence of 10 nmol/l insulin. In control animals, insulin stimulated 2-DG uptake sevenfold in soleus and fivefold in EDL. T3 treatment increased basal 2-DG uptake in soleus and EDL by 115 +/- 29% and 136 +/- 23%, respectively, and increased insulin-stimulated 2-DG uptake in soleus and EDL by 55 +/- 9 and 42 +/- 12%, respectively. Immunoblot analysis revealed that T3 treatment increased GLUT4 protein content in soleus by 43 +/- 6% and in EDL by 56 +/- 13%. These data demonstrate that thyroid hormone increases basal and insulin-stimulated glucose transport in skeletal muscle. The percentage increase in insulin-stimulated transport in T3-treated muscles is similar to the increase in GLUT4 protein content, whereas the percentage change in basal transport greatly exceeds the change in GLUT4. Thus, increased insulin-stimulated glucose transport in T3-treated muscle can be accounted for by the induction of GLUT4 protein.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Inhibition of angiotensin type 1 receptor prevents decline of glucose transporter (GLUT4) in diabetic rat heart.

There is some evidence that inhibition of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) activity can improve the uptake and conversion of glucose by heart and skeletal muscle in diabetes. To study the underlying mechanisms, we treated streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats with the angiotensin type 1 receptor (AT1) antagonist ICI D8731 and the ACE inhibitor fosinopril for 4 months and determined the expression of the myocardial glucose transporter proteins. In diabetic rats, the expression of the insulin-regulated glucose transporter (GLUT4) was strongly diminished as shown by Western and Northern blots. ICI D8731 prevented the decrease of GLUT4 protein in diabetes but had no influence on the amount of mRNA encoding for GLUT1 and GLUT4. GLUT1 protein was hardly detected in the rat heart and was affected neither by diabetes nor by treatment with the AT1 antagonist. Additionally, ICI D8731 influenced the translocation of GLUT4 from the intracellular pool to the plasma membrane, because treatment increased the amount of GLUT4 protein in the plasma membranes as well as in intracellular membrane fractions compared with membranes of untreated diabetic control rats. In contrast, inhibition of ACE by fosinopril influenced neither the expression nor the translocation of the glucose transporter proteins. These observations indicate that angiotensin II has a distinct influence on the post-transcriptional regulation of the GLUT4 transporter protein, presumably indirectly as a consequence of hemodynamic effects and structural alterations of the vessel wall.

Angiotensin Receptor Antagonists↗
PubMed1998

Overexpression of glycogen phosphorylase increases GLUT4 expression and glucose transport in cultured skeletal human muscle.

Skeletal muscle glucose utilization, a major factor in the control of whole-body glucose tolerance, is modulated in accordance with the muscle metabolic demand. For instance, it is increased in chronic contraction or exercise training in association with elevated expression of GLUT4 and hexokinase II (HK-II). In this work, the contribution of increased metabolic flux to the regulation of the glucose transport capacity was analyzed in cultured human skeletal muscle engineered to overexpress glycogen phosphorylase (GP). Myocytes treated with an adenovirus-bearing muscle GP cDNA (AdCMV-MGP) expressed 10 times higher GP activity and exhibited a twofold increase in the Vmax for 2-deoxy-D-[3H]glucose (2-DG) uptake, with no effect on the apparent Km. The stimulatory effect of insulin on 2-DG uptake was also markedly enhanced in AdCMV-MGP-treated cells, which showed maximal insulin stimulation 2.8 times higher than control cells. No changes in HKII total activity or the intracellular compartmentalization were found. GLUT4, protein, and mRNA were raised in AdCMV-MGP-treated cells, suggesting pretranslational activation. GLUT4 was immunodetected intracellularly with a perinuclear predominance. Culture in glucose-free or high-glucose medium did not alter GLUT4 protein content in either control cells or AdCMV-MGP-treated cells. Control and GP-overexpressing cells showed similar autoinhibition of glucose transport, although they appeared to differ in the mechanism(s) involved in this effect. Whereas GLUT1 protein increased in control cells when they were switched from a high-glucose to a glucose-free medium, GLUT1 remained unaltered in GP-expressing cells upon glucose deprivation. Therefore, the increased intracellular metabolic (glycogenolytic-glycolytic) flux that occurs in muscle cells overexpressing GP causes an increase in GLUT4 expression and enhances basal and insulin-stimulated glucose transport, without significant changes in the autoinhibition of glucose transport. This mechanism of regulation may be operative in the postexercise situation in which GLUT4 expression is upregulated in coordination with increased glycolytic flux and energy demand.

Biological Transport↗