Effects of adenoviral gene transfer of wild-type, constitutively active, and kinase-defective protein kinase C-lambda on insulin-stimulated glucose transport in L6 myotubes

We used adenoviral gene transfer methods to evaluate the role of atypical protein kinase Cs (PKCs) during insulin stimulation of glucose transport in L6 myotubes. Expression of wild-type PKC-lambda potentiated maximal and half-maximal effects of insulin on 2-deoxyglucose uptake, but did not alter basal uptake. Expression of constitutively active PKC-lambda enhanced basal 2-deoxyglucose uptake to virtually the same extent as that observed during insulin treatment. In contrast, expression of kinase-defective PKC-lambda completely blocked insulin-stimulated, but not basal, 2-deoxyglucose uptake. Similar to alterations in glucose transport, constitutively active PKC-lambda mimicked, and kinase-defective PKC-lambda completely inhibited, insulin effects on GLUT4 glucose transporter translocation to the plasma membrane. Expression of kinase-defective PKC-lambda, in addition to inhibition of atypical PKC enzyme activity, was attended by paradoxical increases in GLUT4 and GLUT1 glucose transporter levels and insulin-stimulated protein kinase B enzyme activity. Our findings suggest that in L6 myotubes, 1) atypical PKCs are required and sufficient for insulin-stimulated GLUT4 translocation and glucose transport; and 2) activation of protein kinase B in the absence of activation of atypical PKCs is insufficient for insulin-induced activation of glucose transport.     

High leptin levels acutely inhibit insulin-stimulated glucose uptake without affecting glucose transporter 4 translocation in l6 rat skeletal muscle cells

Obesity is a major risk factor for the development of insulin resistance, characterized by impaired stimulation of glucose disposal into muscle. The mechanisms underlying insulin resistance are unknown. Here we examine the direct effect of leptin, the product of the obesity gene, on insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in cultured rat skeletal muscle cells. Preincubation of L6 myotubes with leptin (2 or 100 nM, 30 min) had no effect on basal glucose uptake but reduced insulin-stimulated glucose uptake. However, leptin had no effect on the insulin-induced gain in myc-tagged glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) appearance at the cell surface of L6 myotubes. Preincubation of cells with leptin also had no effect on insulin-stimulated tyrosine phosphorylation of insulin receptor, IRS-1 and IRS-2, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase activity, or Akt phosphorylation. We have previously shown that insulin regulates glucose uptake via a signaling pathway sensitive to inhibitors of p38 MAP kinase. Here, leptin pretreatment reduced the extent of insulin-stimulated p38 MAP kinase phosphorylation and phosphorylation of cAMP response element binder, a downstream effector of p38 MAP kinase. These results show that high leptin levels can directly reduce insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in L6 muscle cells despite normal GLUT4 translocation. The mechanism of this effect could involve inhibition of insulin-stimulated p38 MAP kinase and GLUT4 activation.     

ACE inhibitor improves insulin resistance in diabetic mouse via bradykinin and NO

Improvement of insulin resistance by ACE inhibitors has been suggested; however, this mechanism has not been proved. We postulated that activation of the bradykinin-nitric oxide (NO) system by an ACE inhibitor enhances glucose uptake in peripheral tissues by means of an increase in translocation of glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4), resulting in improvement of insulin resistance. Administration of an ACE inhibitor, temocapril, significantly decreased plasma glucose and insulin concentrations in type 2 diabetic mouse KK-Ay. Mice treated with temocapril showed a smaller plasma glucose increase after glucose load. We demonstrated that temocapril treatment significantly enhanced 2-[3H]-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG) uptake in skeletal muscle but not in white adipose tissue. Administration of a bradykinin B2 receptor antagonist, Hoe140, or an NO synthase inhibitor, L-NAME, attenuated the enhanced glucose uptake by temocapril. Moreover, we observed that translocation of GLUT4 to the plasma membrane was significantly enhanced by temocapril treatment without influencing insulin receptor substrate-1 phosphorylation. In L6 skeletal muscle cells, 2-DG uptake was increased by temocaprilat, and Hoe140 inhibited this effect of temocaprilat but not that of insulin. These results suggest that temocapril would improve insulin resistance and glucose intolerance through increasing glucose uptake, especially in skeletal muscle at least in part through enhancement of the bradykinin-NO system and consequently GLUT4 translocation.     

Altered amyloid precursor protein processing regulates glucose uptake and oxidation in cultured rodent myotubes

Aims/hypothesis

Impaired glucose uptake in skeletal muscle is an important contributor to glucose intolerance in type 2 diabetes. The aspartate protease, beta-site APP-cleaving enzyme 1 (BACE1), a critical regulator of amyloid precursor protein (APP) processing, modulates in vivo glucose disposal and insulin sensitivity in mice. Insulin-independent pathways to stimulate glucose uptake and GLUT4 translocation may offer alternative therapeutic avenues for the treatment of diabetes. We therefore addressed whether BACE1 activity, via APP processing, in skeletal muscle modifies glucose uptake and oxidation independently of insulin.

Methods

Skeletal muscle cell lines were used to investigate the effects of BACE1 and α-secretase inhibition and BACE1 and APP overexpression on glucose uptake, GLUT4 cell surface translocation, glucose oxidation and cellular respiration.

Results

In the absence of insulin, reduction of BACE1 activity increased glucose uptake and oxidation, GLUT4myc cell surface translocation, and basal rate of oxygen consumption. In contrast, overexpressing BACE1 in C₂C₁₂ myotubes decreased glucose uptake, glucose oxidation and oxygen consumption rate. APP overexpression increased and α-secretase inhibition decreased glucose uptake in C₂C₁₂ myotubes. The increase in glucose uptake elicited by BACE1 inhibition is dependent on phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) and mimicked by soluble APPα (sAPPα).

Conclusions/interpretation

Inhibition of muscle BACE1 activity increases insulin-independent, PI3K-dependent glucose uptake and cell surface translocation of GLUT4. As APP overexpression raises basal glucose uptake, and direct application of sAPPα increases PI3K–protein kinase B signalling and glucose uptake in myotubes, we suggest that α-secretase-dependent shedding of sAPPα regulates insulin-independent glucose uptake in skeletal muscle.     

Reduced expression of focal adhesion kinase disrupts insulin action in skeletal muscle cells

Integrins mediate interactions between cells and extracellular matrix proteins that modulate growth factor signaling. Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) is a key multifunctional integrin pathway protein. We recently reported that disruption of FAK impairs insulin-mediated glycogen synthesis in hepatocytes. To test the hypothesis that FAK regulates skeletal muscle insulin action, we reduced FAK expression in L6 myotubes using FAK antisense. In untransfected myotubes, insulin stimulated both FAK tyrosine phosphorylation and kinase activity. Cells treated with antisense FAK showed 78 and 53% reductions in FAK mRNA and FAK protein, respectively, whereas insulin receptor substrate 1/2 and paxillin abundance were unaffected. Insulin-stimulated U-(14)C-glucose incorporation into glycogen was abolished by FAK antisense, and 2-deoxy-glucose uptake and glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) translocation were both markedly attenuated. Antisense FAK did not alter GLUT1 or GLUT3 protein abundance. Immunofluorescence staining showed decreased FAK Tyr(397) phosphorylation and reduced actin stress fibers. Thus, in skeletal myotubes, FAK regulates the insulin-mediated cytoskeletal rearrangement essential for normal glucose transport and glycogen synthesis. Integrin signaling may play an important regulatory role in muscle insulin action.     

Indinavir uncovers different contributions of GLUT4 and GLUT1 towards glucose uptake in muscle and fat cells and tissues

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: Insulin-dependent glucose influx in skeletal muscle and adipocytes is believed to rely largely on GLUT4, but this has not been confirmed directly. We assessed the relative functional contribution of GLUT4 in experimental models of skeletal muscle and adipocytes using the HIV-1 protease inhibitor indinavir. METHODS: Indinavir (up to 100 micro mol/l) was added to the glucose transport solution after insulin stimulation of wild-type L6 muscle cells, L6 cells over-expressing either GLUT4myc or GLUT1myc, 3T3-L1 adipocytes, isolated mouse brown or white adipocytes, and isolated mouse muscle preparations. RESULTS: 100 micro mol/l indinavir inhibited 80% of both basal and insulin-stimulated 2-deoxyglucose uptake in L6GLUT4myc myotubes and myoblasts, but only 25% in L6GLUT1myc cells. Cell-surface density of glucose transporters was not affected. In isolated soleus and extensor digitorum longus muscles, primary white and brown adipocytes, insulin-stimulated glucose uptake was inhibited 70 to 80% by indinavir. The effect of indinavir on glucose uptake was variable in 3T3-L1 adipocytes, averaging 45% and 67% inhibition of basal and maximally insulin-stimulated glucose uptake, respectively. In this cell, fractional inhibition of glucose uptake by indinavir correlated positively with the fold-stimulation of glucose uptake by insulin, and was higher with sub-maximal insulin concentrations. The latter finding coincided with an increase only in GLUT4, but not GLUT1, in plasma membrane lawns. CONCLUSION/INTERPRETATION: Indinavir is a useful tool to assess different functional contributions of GLUT4 to glucose uptake in common models of skeletal muscle and adipocytes.     

Cellular mechanism of metformin action involves glucose transporter translocation from an intracellular pool to the plasma membrane in L6 muscle cells.

The effects of the oral hypoglycemic drug metformin on glucose and amino acid transporter activity and subcellular localization of GLUT1 and GLUT4 glucose transporters were tested in cultured L6 myotubes. In muscle cells preexposed to maximal doses of metformin (2 mM, for 16 h), 2-deoxyglucose uptake was stimulated by over 2-fold from 5.9 +/- 0.3 to 13.3 +/- 0.5 pmol/min.mg protein. Uptake of the nonmetabolizable amino acid analog methylaminoisobutyrate was unaffected by treatment with the drug under identical conditions. Extracellular calcium was required to preserve the full response to the biguanide. Exposure of muscle cells to insulin in the presence of metformin resulted in further activation of 2-deoxyglucose transport. The latter effect was additive to the maximum effect of metformin, suggesting that the biguanide stimulates hexose uptake into muscle cells by an insulin-independent mechanism. Glucose transporter number quantified by performing studies of D-glucose-protectable binding of cytochalasin-B in plasma membranes (PM) and internal membranes (IM) prepared from L6 myotubes revealed that a 16-h treatment with 800 microM metformin significantly elevated glucose transporter number in the PM (by 47%), with an equivalent decrement in glucose transporter number (47%) in the IM. Western blot analysis using antisera reactive with the GLUT1 and GLUT4 isoforms of glucose transporters showed that metformin caused a reduction in GLUT1 content in the IM fraction and a concomitant increase in the PM. Unlike insulin, metformin treatment had no effect on the subcellular distribution of GLUT4. We propose that the molecular basis of metformin action in skeletal muscle involves the subcellular redistribution of GLUT1 proteins from an intracellular compartment to the plasma membrane. Such a recruitment process may form an integral part of the mechanism by which the drug stimulates glucose uptake (and utilization) in skeletal muscle and facilitates lowering of blood glucose in the management of type II diabetes.     

Reduction of insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in L6 myotubes by the protein kinase inhibitor SB203580 is independent of p38MAPK activity

Insulin increases glucose uptake through translocation of the glucose transporter GLUT4 to the plasma membrane. We previously showed that insulin activates p38MAPK, and inhibitors of p38MAPKalpha and p38MAPKbeta (e.g. SB203580) reduce insulin-stimulated glucose uptake without affecting GLUT4 translocation. This observation suggested that insulin may increase GLUT4 activity via p38alpha and/or p38beta. Here we further explore the possible participation of p38MAPK through a combination of molecular strategies. SB203580 reduced insulin stimulation of glucose uptake in L6 myotubes overexpressing an SB203580-resistant p38alpha (drug-resistant p38alpha) but barely affected phosphorylation of the p38 substrate MAPK-activated protein kinase-2. Expression of dominant-negative p38alpha or p38beta reduced p38MAPK phosphorylation by 70% but had no effect on insulin-stimulated glucose uptake. Gene silencing via isoform-specific small interfering RNAs reduced expression of p38alpha or p38beta by 60-70% without diminishing insulin-stimulated glucose uptake. SB203580 reduced photoaffinity labeling of GLUT4 by bio-LC-ATB-BMPA only in the insulin-stimulated state. Unless low levels of p38MAPK suffice to regulate glucose uptake, these results suggest that the inhibition of insulin-stimulated glucose transport by SB203580 is likely not mediated by p38MAPK. Instead, changes experienced by insulin-stimulated GLUT4 make it susceptible to inhibition by SB203580.     

Agent and cell-type specificity in the induction of insulin resistance by HIV protease inhibitors

OBJECTIVE: To test agent and cell-type specificity in insulin resistance induced by prolonged exposure to HIV protease inhibitors (HPI), and to assess its relation to the direct, short-term inhibition of insulin-stimulated glucose uptake. METHODS: Following prolonged (18 h) and short (5-10 min) exposure to HPI, insulin-stimulated glucose transport, protein kinase B (PKB) phosphorylation, and GLUT4 translocation were evaluated in 3T3-L1 adipocytes, fibroblasts, L6 myotubes, and L6 cells overexpressing a myc tag on the first exofacial loop of GLUT4 or GLUT1. RESULTS: Prolonged exposure of 3T3-L1 adipocytes to nelfinavir, but not to indinavir or saquinavir, resulted in increased basal lipolysis but decreased insulin-stimulated glucose transport and PKB phosphorylation. In addition, impaired insulin-stimulated glucose uptake and PKB phosphorylation were also observed in the skeletal muscle cell line L6, and in 3T3-L1 fibroblasts. Interestingly, this coincided with increased basal glucose uptake as well as with elevated total-membrane glucose transporter GLUT1 protein content. In contrast to these unique effects of nelfinavir, the mere presence of any of the agents in the 5 min transport assay inhibited insulin-stimulated glucose-uptake activity. This appeared to be caused by direct and specific interaction of the drugs with GLUT4 fully assembled at the plasma membrane, since insulin-stimulated cell-surface exposure of an exofacial myc epitope on GLUT4 was normal. CONCLUSIONS: Independent mechanisms for HPI-induced insulin resistance exist: prolonged exposure to nelfinavir interferes with insulin signaling and alters cellular metabolism of adipocytes and muscle cells, whereas a direct inhibitory effect on insulin-stimulated glucose uptake may occurs through specific interaction of HPI with GLUT4.     

Fatty acids inhibit insulin-mediated glucose transport associated with actin remodeling in rat L6 muscle cells

In skeletal muscle cells, insulin stimulates cytoskeleton actin remodeling to facilitate the translocation of glucose transporter GLUT4 to plasma membrane. Defect of insulin-induced GLUT4 translocation and actin remodeling may cause insulin resistance. Free fatty acids cause insulin resistance in skeletal muscle. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of fatty acids on glucose transport and actin remodeling. Differentiated L6 muscle cells expressing c-myc epitope-tagged GLUT4 were treated with palmitic acid, linoleic acid and oleic acid. Surface GLUT4 and 2-deoxyglucose uptake were measured in parallel with the morphological imaging of actin remodeling and GLUT4 immunoreactivity with fluorescence, confocal and transmission electron microscopy. Differentiated L6 cells showed concentration responses of insulin-induced actin remodeling and glucose uptake. The ultrastructure of insulin-induced actin remodeling was cell projections clustered with actin and GLUT4. Acute and chronic treatment with the 3 fatty acids had no effect on insulin-induced actin remodeling and GLUT4 immunoreactivity. However, insulin-mediated glucose uptake significantly decreased by palmitic acid (25, 50, 75, 100 μmol/L), oleic acid (180, 300 μmol/L) and linoleic acid (120, 180, 300 μmol/L). Oleic acid (120, 300 μmol/L) and linoleic acid (300 μmol/L), but not palmitic acid, significantly decreased insulin-mediated GLUT4 translocation. These data suggest that fatty acids inhibit insulin-induced glucose transport associated with actin remodeling in L6 muscle cells.     

C-reactive protein induces phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate-1 on Ser<Superscript>307</Superscript> and Ser<Superscript>612</Superscript> in L6 myocytes,thereby impairing the insulin signalling pathway that promotes glucose transport

Aims/hypothesis C-reactive protein (CRP) is associated with insulin resistance and predicts development of type 2 diabetes. However, it is unknown whether CRP directly affects insulin signalling action. To this aim, we determined the effects of human recombinant CRP (hrCRP) on insulin signalling involved in glucose transport in L6 myotubes. Materials and methods L6 myotubes were exposed to endotoxin-free hrCRP and insulin-stimulated activation of signal molecules, glucose uptake and glycogen synthesis were assessed. Results We found that hrCRP stimulates both c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)1/2 activity. These effects were paralleled by a concomitant increase in IRS-1 phosphorylation at Ser³⁰⁷ and Ser⁶¹², respectively. The stimulatory effects of hrCRP on IRS-1 phosphorylation at Ser³⁰⁷ and Ser⁶¹² were partially reversed by treatment with specific JNK and ERK1/2 inhibitors, respectively. Exposure of L6 myotubes to hrCRP reduced insulin-stimulated phosphorylation of IRS-1 at Tyr⁶³², a site essential for engaging p85 subunit of phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI-3K), protein kinase B (Akt) activation and glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK-3) phosphorylation. These events were accompanied by a decrease in insulin-stimulated glucose transporter (GLUT) 4 translocation to the plasma membrane, glucose uptake and glucose incorporation into glycogen. The inhibitory effects of hrCRP on insulin signalling and insulin-stimulated GLUT4 translocation were reversed by treatment with JNK inhibitor I and the mitogen-activated protein kinase inhibitor, PD98059. Conclusions/interpretation Our data suggest that hrCRP may cause insulin resistance by increasing IRS-1 phosphorylation at Ser³⁰⁷ and Ser⁶¹² via JNK and ERK1/2, respectively, leading to impaired insulin-stimulated glucose uptake, GLUT4 translocation, and glycogen synthesis mediated by the IRS-1/PI-3K/Akt/GSK-3 pathway.     

Insulin-like growth factor I circumvents defective insulin action in human myotonic dystrophy skeletal muscle cells.

Primary human skeletal muscle cell cultures derived from muscles of a myotonic dystrophy (DM) fetus provided a model in which both resistance to insulin action described in DM patient muscles and the potential ability of insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) to circumvent this defect could be investigated. Basal glucose uptake was the same in cultured DM cells as in normal myotubes. In DM cells, a dose of 10 nM insulin produced no stimulatory effect on glucose uptake, and at higher concentrations, stimulation of glucose uptake remained significantly lower than that in normal myotubes. In addition, basal and insulin-mediated protein synthesis were both significantly reduced compared with those in normal cells. In DM myotubes, insulin receptor messenger RNA expression and insulin receptor binding were significantly diminished, whereas the expression of GLUT1 and GLUT4 glucose transporters was not affected. These results indicate that impaired insulin action is retained in DM cultured myotubes. The action of recombinant human IGF-I (rhIGF-I) was evaluated in this cellular model. We showed that rhIGF-I is able to stimulate glucose uptake to a similar extent as in control cells and restore normal protein synthesis level in DM myotubes. Thus, rhIGF-I is able to bypass impaired insulin action in DM myotubes. This provides a solid foundation for the eventual use of rhIGF-I as an effective treatment of muscle weakness and wasting in DM.     

Functional role of Rab11 in GLUT4 trafficking in cardiomyocytes

We have recently shown the co-localization of Rab11 and the glucose transporter GLUT4 in cardiac muscle and an insulin-stimulated increase of Rab11 in GLUT4-containing vesicles in this tissue. We now assessed the effect of Rab11 wt and a dominant-negative mutant (N124I) on GLUT4 trafficking in the cardiomyoblast cell line H9c2 stably overexpressing the insulin receptor (H9c2-E2) and in human primary skeletal myotubes. These cells were used for transient cotransfection or adenoviral co-infection with GLUT4myc and Rab11 wt or N124I with subsequent determination of 2-deoxyglucose (2-DOG) uptake and GLUT4myc translocation. Concomitant overexpression of GLUT4myc and Rab11 wt in cardiomyocytes decreased the amount of GLUT4myc at the cell surface by about 50%, an effect not observed for Rab11 N124I. However, the dominant-negative mutant reduced the efficiency of insulin to promote glucose uptake and GLUT4 translocation in both cardiac and skeletal muscle cells to about one half. The level of Akt phosphorylation does not vary after cotransfection indicating that insulin signalling remained unaffected under these conditions. In conclusion, our data show that Rab11 (i) mediates endocytosis of GLUT4 and (ii) plays a pivotal role in insulin-regulated translocation of this transporter to the plasma membrane.     

Inhibition of the protein tyrosine phosphatase SHP-1 increases glucose uptake in skeletal muscle cells by augmenting insulin receptor signaling and GLUT4 expression

The protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTPase) Src-homology 2-domain-containing phosphatase (SHP)-1 was recently reported to be a novel regulator of insulin's metabolic action. In order to examine the role of this PTPase in skeletal muscle, we used adenovirus (AdV)-mediated gene transfer to express an interfering mutant of SHP-1 [dominant negative (DN)SHP-1; mutation C453S] in L6 myocytes. Expression of DNSHP-1 increased insulin-induced Akt serine-threonine kinase phosphorylation and augmented glucose uptake and glycogen synthesis. Pharmacological inhibition of glucose transporter type 4 (GLUT4) activity using indinavir and GLUT4 translocation assays revealed an important role for this transporter in the increased insulin-induced glucose uptake in DNSHP-1-expressing myocytes. Both GLUT4 mRNA and protein expression were also found to be increased by DNSHP-1 expression. Furthermore, AdV-mediated delivery of DNSHP-1 in skeletal muscle of transgenic mice overexpressing Coxsackie and AdV receptor also enhanced GLUT4 protein expression. Together, these findings confirm that SHP-1 regulates muscle insulin action in a cell-autonomous manner and further suggest that the PTPase negatively modulates insulin action through down-regulation of both insulin signaling to Akt and GLUT4 translocation, as well as GLUT4 expression.     

格列喹酮可促进成肌细胞葡萄糖摄取

目的 观察格列喹酮对小鼠成肌细胞(C2C12)葡萄糖摄取及葡萄糖转运相关蛋白葡萄糖转运体4表达的影响.方法 采用格列喹酮干预体外培养的C2C12细胞,将细胞分为空白组、胰岛素组(1×10-7mol/L胰岛素)、格列喹酮组(1×10-5mol/L格列喹酮)、格列喹酮+胰岛素组(1×10-5mol/L格列喹酮+1×10-7mol/L胰岛素).应用葡萄糖氧化酶法检测细胞培养基中葡萄糖水平,DMEM组葡萄糖含量平均值减去其余各孔葡萄糖含量算得各孔细胞葡萄糖消耗量;用MTT法检测细胞活力;利用液闪计数法检测C2C12细胞葡萄糖摄取量;采用半定量实时聚合酶链反应(RTPCR)检测细胞中葡萄糖转运体4 mRNA水平.应用单因素方差分析进行数据统计.结果 与空白组相比,格列喹酮组C2C12细胞葡萄糖消耗量明显增加[(11.0±0.5)vs(7.9±0.6)mmol/L,q=0.36,P＜0.01];格列喹酮+胰岛素组C2C12细胞葡萄糖消耗量较胰岛素组增多[(13.8±0.7)vs(12.3±0.6)mmol/L,q=0.72,P＜0.01].胰岛素组、格列喹酮组C2C12细胞对葡萄糖的摄取均增加,分别为空白组的(1.68±0.09)、(1.52±0.23)、(1.23±0.16)倍(q值分别为14.78、11.30、5.00,均P＜0.01);格列喹酮组C2C12细胞葡萄糖摄取增加较格列苯脲组明显(q=6.30,P＜0.01),格列喹酮+胰岛素组C2C12细胞葡萄糖摄取为空白组的(1.93±0.12)倍(q=13.04,P＜0.01),且明显高于胰岛素组(q=5.43,P＜0.01).格列喹酮组C2C12细胞葡萄糖转运体4 mRNA水平与空白组比较无明显差异.结论 格列喹酮可促进C2C12细胞对葡萄糖的摄取,增加胰岛素刺激的葡萄糖摄取,并未增加C2C12细胞葡萄糖转运体4基因表达.     

Regulation of subcellular distribution of GLUT4 in cardiomyocytes: Rab4A reduces basal glucose transport and augments insulin responsiveness.

Members of the Rab subfamily of small-GTP binding proteins have been suggested to be involved in insulin-regulated translocation of the glucose transporter GLUT4. To directly study this process in muscle tissue, we have established an insulin-sensitive cardiac cell line (H9K6) stably overexpressing GLUT4, which was derived from H9c2 cardiac myoblasts. H9K6-cells were transiently transfected with rab4A and rab3C with an efficiency of 65% and glucose uptake and the cellular distribution and expression of the transporter isoforms GLUT1 and GLUT4 was subsequently determined. Rab3C-overexpression caused no significant change in both basal and insulin-stimulated 2-deoxyglucose uptake compared to control cells transfected with the blank vector. Rab4A was barely detectable in membranes of H9K6 cells. However, after transient transfection this protein was expressed at a level comparable to adult cardiomyocytes. This resulted in a reduction of basal glucose uptake by 31% compared to control cells. Under these conditions insulin was able to stimulate 2-deoxyglucose uptake by 120%. Total expression of GLUT1 and GLUT4 was not affected by Rab4-overexpression. Cell surface biotinylation was used to quantify the abundance of GLUT1 and GLUT4 in the plasma membrane. A decrease of cell surface GLUT4 by about 40% compared to control cells was found in Rab4-overexpressing cells Insulin treatment increased cell surface-GLUT4 by 100% compared to only 26% in control cells. Distribution of GLUT1 was not affected under these conditions. Our data show that Rab4A but not Rab3C is able to reduce basal glucose uptake and cell surface content of GLUT4 in cardiac muscle cells. This results in an increased stimulation of glucose uptake by insulin which can be fully explained by enhanced translocation of GLUT4. We suggest that Rab4A participates in the redistribution of GLUT4 to intracellular pools and represents an essential determinant of the insulin responsiveness of GLUT4 translocation in cardiac muscle cells.     

姜黄素促进骨骼肌GLUT4转位改善糖尿病大鼠胰岛素抵抗

目的:研究姜黄素对STZ诱导糖尿病大鼠骨骼肌胰岛素抵抗的影响及其机制。方法:雄性SD大鼠腹腔注射STZ诱导糖尿病大鼠模型。成模大鼠分为糖尿病组(DM),糖尿病＋姜黄素组(DM＋Cur),糖尿病＋缓冲液对照组(DM＋NC)。以正常SD大鼠为正常对照组(NC)。DM＋Cur组予姜黄素灌胃治疗,DM＋NC组给予等体积缓冲液灌...     

Insulin resistance of pregnancy involves estrogen-induced repression of muscle GLUT4

Pregnancy is accompanied by hyperestrogenism, however, the role of estrogens in the gestational-induced insulin resistance is unknown. Skeletal muscle plays a fundamental role in this resistance, where GLUT4 regulates glucose uptake. We investigated: (1) effects of oophorectomy and estradiol (E2) on insulin sensitivity and GLUT4 expression. E2 ( approximately 200nM) for 7 days decreased sensitivity, reducing approximately 30% GLUT4 mRNA and protein (P<0.05) and plasma membrane expression in muscle; (2) the expression of ERalpha and ERbeta in L6 myotubes, showing that both coexpress in the same nucleus; (3) effects of E2 on GLUT4 in L6, showing a time- and dose-dependent response. High concentration (100nM) for 6 days reduced approximately 25% GLUT4 mRNA and protein (P<0.05). Concluding, E2 regulates GLUT4 in muscle, and at high concentrations, such as in pregnancy, reduces GLUT4 expression and, in vivo, decreases insulin sensitivity. Thus, hyperestrogenism may be involved in the pregnancy-induced insulin resistance and/or gestational diabetes.