Chronic leptin administration increases insulin-stimulated skeletal muscle glucose uptake and transport.

Leptin, the product of the ob gene, has been shown to reduce fat mass, food intake, hyperglycemia, and hyperinsulinemia and to increase whole-body glucose disposal. However, it is unknown if leptin improves insulin action in skeletal muscle. Therefore, the purpose of this investigation was to determine if chronic leptin administration increases insulin-stimulated skeletal muscle glucose uptake and transport. Sixty-nine female Sprague-Dawley rats (240 to 250 g) were randomly assigned to one of three groups: (1) control, (2) pair-fed, and (3) leptin. All animals were subcutaneously implanted with miniosmotic pumps that delivered 0.5 mg leptin/kg/d to the leptin animals and vehicle to the control and pair-fed animals for 14 days. Following this 14-day period, all animals were subjected to hindlimb perfusion to determine the rates of skeletal muscle glucose uptake and 3-O-methyl-D-glucose (3-MG) transport under basal, submaximal (500 microU/mL), and maximal (10,000 microU/mL) insulin concentrations. Chronic leptin treatment significantly increased (P < .05) the rate of glucose uptake across the hindlimb by 27%, 32%, and 47% under basal, submaximal, and maximal insulin, respectively, compared with the control and pair-fed condition. However, when the submaximal rate of glucose uptake was expressed as a percentage of maximal insulin-stimulated glucose uptake, no differences existed among the groups, indicating that leptin treatment does not increase insulin sensitivity. Rates of 3-MG transport in the soleus, plantaris, and white and red portions of the gastrocnemius (WG and RG) were significantly increased (P < .05) in leptin animals under all perfusion conditions. 3-MG transport was not different between control and pair-fed animals. Collectively, these findings suggest that improvements in insulin-stimulated skeletal muscle glucose uptake and transport following chronic leptin treatment result from increased insulin responsiveness.     

利拉鲁肽对小鼠骨骼肌细胞葡萄糖转运子4转位的作用

目的 探讨胰高血糖素样肽1 （GLP-1）类似物利拉鲁肽对小鼠骨骼肌细胞葡萄糖转运子4（GLUT4）转位的作用及可能机制.方法 在过表达带有HA表位GLUT4的小鼠骨骼肌细胞株C2C12（C2C12-GLUT4H）,分为正常对照组、胰岛素组（100 nmol/L）、利拉鲁肽1组（100 nmol/L）、利拉鲁肽2组（1 000 nmol/L）、5-氨基咪唑-4-甲酰1-β-D呋喃糖苷（AICAR）（腺苷酸活化蛋白激酶激动剂）组（2 mmol/L）.通过ELISA法测定细胞膜上C2C12-GLUT4HA,检测各组对C2C12-GLUT4HA细胞GLUT4转位的作用.应用Western blotting检测介导GLUT4转位的信号分子蛋白激酶B（AKT）、腺苷酸活化蛋白激酶（AMPK）磷酸化水平以及GLUT4蛋白表达水平.采用Student＇s t检验或单因素方差分析进行统计分析.结果 利拉鲁肽组的GLUT4转位较对照组相比明显上升[分别是对照组的（1.53±0.28）倍、（1.41±0.41）倍,F=13.4798,P＜0.05];利拉鲁肽刺激组与对照组相比能够使pAMPK水平升高[分别是对照组的（1.79±0.31）倍、（1.54±0.18）倍,F=20.0999,P＜0.05],而对pAKT无明显影响（P＞0.05）.结论 利拉鲁肽可通过激活AMPK从而促进小鼠骨骼肌细胞GLUT4转位的增加.     

Globular adiponectin increases GLUT4 translocation and glucose uptake but reduces glycogen synthesis in rat skeletal muscle cells

Aims/hypothesis The aim of this study was to determine whether adiponectin elicits glucose uptake via increased GLUT4 translocation and to investigate the metabolic fate of glucose in skeletal muscle cells treated with globular adiponectin.Materials and methods Basal and insulin-stimulated 2-deoxy-d-[³H]glucose uptake, cell surface myc-tagged GLUT4 content, production of ¹⁴CO₂ by oxidation of d-[U-¹⁴C]glucose and [1-¹⁴C]oleate, and incorporation of d-[U-¹⁴C]glucose into glycogen and lactate were measured in the presence and absence of globular adiponectin.Results RT-PCR and Western blot analysis revealed that L6 cells and rat skeletal muscle cells express AdipoR1 mRNA and protein. Globular adiponectin increased both GLUT4 translocation and glucose uptake by increasing the transport V_max of glucose without altering the K_m. Interestingly, the incorporation of d-[U-¹⁴C]glucose into glycogen under basal and insulin-stimulated conditions was significantly decreased by globular adiponectin, whereas lactate production was increased. Furthermore, globular adiponectin did not affect glucose oxidation, but enhanced phosphorylation of AMP kinase and acetyl-CoA carboxylase, and fatty acid oxidation.Conclusions/interpretation The present study is the first to show that globular adiponectin increases glucose uptake in skeletal muscle cells via GLUT4 translocation and subsequently reduces the rate of glycogen synthesis and shifts glucose metabolism toward lactate production. These effects are consistent with the increased phosphorylation of AMP kinase and acetyl-CoA carboxylase and oxidation of fatty acids induced by globular adiponectin.     

Failure of leptin to affect basal and insulin-stimulated glucose metabolism of rat skeletal muscle in vitro

Summary Studies on different isolated tissues have provided evidence that leptin may directly modulate cellular glucose handling. The present study was performed to elucidate leptin's action on basal and insulin-stimulated glucose metabolism in native muscle tissue, which under physiological circumstances is the quantitatively most important target tissue of insulin. Isolated rat soleus muscle strips were incubated for 1 h in the absence or presence of leptin (0, 1, 10, or 100 nmol/l) under basal or insulin-stimulated conditions (10 nmol/l). No effects of leptin were found on the rates of ³H-2-deoxy-glucose transport (basal: control, 314 ± 14; 1 nmol/l leptin, 320 ± 17; 10 nmol/l leptin, 314 ± 13; 100 nmol/l leptin, 322 ± 16; insulin-stimulated: control, 690 ± 33; 1 nmol/l leptin, 691 ± 29; 10 nmol/l leptin, 665 ± 26; 100 nmol/l leptin, 664 ± 27; cpm · mg^–1· h^–1; NS vs respective control) and on net glucose incorporation into glycogen (basal: control, 1.75 ± 0.18; 1 nmol/l leptin, 2.01 ± 0.13; 10 nmol/l leptin, 1.92 ± 0.11; 100 nmol/l leptin, 1.81 ± 0.13; insulin-stimulated: control, 5.98 ± 0.40; 1 nmol/l leptin, 5.93 ± 0.30; 10 nmol/l leptin, 5.46 ± 0.25; 100 nmol/l leptin, 5.85 ± 0.30; μmol · g^–1· h^–1; NS vs respective control). In parallel, leptin failed to affect rates of aerobic and anaerobic glycolysis as well as muscle glycogen content. Further experiments revealed that the inability of leptin to directly affect muscle glucose handling prevailed independently of muscle fiber type (soleus and epitrochlearis muscle), of ambient insulin concentrations (0–30 nmol/l), and of leptin exposure time (1 h or 6 h). Thus, our findings fail to support speculations about a physiological role of direct insulin-mimetic or insulin-desensitizing effects of leptin on skeletal muscle tissue. [Diabetologia (1998) 41: 524–529] Received: 7 October 1997 and in revised form: 23 January 1998     

Level of skeletal muscle glucose transporter protein correlates with insulin-stimulated whole body glucose disposal in man

Summary The content of GLUT4 glucose transporter mRNA and protein were measured in samples of the vastus lateralis muscle of normal volunteers subjected to a 4-h hyperinsulinaemic, euglycaemic clamp. Plasma glucose concentration was clamped at 5.3±0.1 mmol/l, and serum insulin concentration was maintained at 740±5 pmol/l. Whole body glucose uptake averaged 38.3±2.2 mol · kg^–1 · min^–1, 62% of this being due to disposal via non-oxidative pathways. A significant correlation existed between basal levels of GLUT4 protein and the rate of whole body glucose disposal (r=0.77, p<0.02) and non-oxidative glucose disposal (r=0.80, p<0.02). There was no correlation between GLUT4 protein content and oxidative glucose disposal (r=0.08, NS). These observations are consistent with an important role for skeletal muscle GLUT4 protein in whole body glucose disposal.     

Liraglutide enhances glucose transporter 4 translocation via regulation of AMP-activated protein kinase signaling pathways in mouse skeletal muscle cells

Objective

Liraglutide is an anti-diabetic drug and human glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) analog that primarily functions in the pancreas. However, its extra-pancreatic functions are not clear. Skeletal muscle tissue is an important determinant of blood glucose and cells take in approximately 80% of dietary glucose via glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) on the plasma membrane. Insulin and muscle contraction are two physiological stimuli of GLUT4 translocation to the cell membrane from intracellular storage compartments, but the signaling mechanisms that mediate these processes are different. AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and Akt are the key signal molecules mediating the effects of muscle contraction and insulin, respectively, on GLUT4 translocation. Here, we investigate the effect of liraglutide on GLUT4 translocation and the roles of AMPK and Akt in this mechanism in skeletal muscle cells by stably expressing GLUT4myc with an exofacial myc-epitope C₂C₁₂-GLUT4myc.

Materials/Methods

The cell surface GLUT4myc levels were determined by an antibody-coupled colorimetric assay. The phosphorylation levels of AMPK, Akt, AS160, TBC1D1, and GLUT4 were determined by western blotting. The cAMP levels were measured by an ELISA kit. siRNA was transfected with Lipofectamine 2000. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used for data analysis.

Results

Liraglutide stimulated GLUT4 translocation in C₂C₁₂-GLUT4myc myotubes. Liraglutide increased the intracellular cAMP levels and the phosphorylation of AMPK, AS160, and TBC1D1. Akt phosphorylation and GLUT4 expression were not affected. Inhibition of AMPK by siRNA or Compound C reduced liraglutide-induced GLUT4 translocation.

Conclusion

Our results suggest that liraglutide may induce GLUT4 translocation by activation of AMPK in muscle cells.     

Ethanol feeding impairs insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in isolated rat skeletal muscle: role of Gs alpha and cAMP

BACKGROUND: The mechanism by which chronic alcohol consumption impairs insulin sensitivity is unclear. We investigated the role of the Gs alpha-mediated pathway in decreasing insulin sensitivity in skeletal muscle after ethanol consumption. METHODS: Sixty male Wistar rats, divided into four groups, received either distilled water (controls; group I) or ethanol, which was administered by a gastric tube as a single daily dose of 5 g/kg (group II), 2.5 g/kg (group III), or 0.5 g/kg (group IV). After 20 weeks, fasting plasma glucose and serum insulin levels were measured. The hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp study was performed under anesthesia to estimate whole-body insulin sensitivity. Insulin-stimulated glucose uptake was measured in vitro in dissected gastrocnemius muscle. Expression of glut4, Gs alpha, and Gi alpha was quantified using real-time PCR analysis and western blotting. cAMP levels were measured by ELISA. RESULTS: Compared with controls, the following observations were made: (1) the hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp study revealed impaired insulin action at the whole-body level after ethanol treatment; (2) chronic ethanol feeding at 5 g/kg and 2.5 g/kg significantly decreased both basal and insulin-stimulated glucose uptakes in isolated skeletal muscle (p<0.05), which was accompanied by decreased expression of glut4 (p<0.05); (3) Gs alpha (mRNA and protein) expression in skeletal muscle was significantly increased in all three ethanol groups (p<0.05), and cAMP levels were also increased by ethanol treatment (p<0.05); and (4) there was no significant change in Gi alpha expression in all three ethanol groups. CONCLUSIONS: Chronic ethanol exposure decreased insulin-induced glucose uptake in rat skeletal muscle, which was associated with increased expression of Gs alpha. Because Gs alpha is a negative regulator of insulin sensitivity, the alteration in Gs alpha expression may contribute to the ethanol-induced impairment of insulin signal transduction.     

Palmitate induced mitochondrial deoxyribonucleic acid damage and apoptosis in l6 rat skeletal muscle cells

A major characteristic of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is insulin resistance in skeletal muscle. A growing body of evidence indicates that oxidative stress that results from increased production of reactive oxygen species and/or reactive nitrogen species leads to insulin resistance, tissue damage, and other complications observed in T2DM. It has been suggested that muscular free fatty acid accumulation might be responsible for the mitochondrial dysfunction and insulin resistance seen in T2DM, although the mechanisms by which increased levels of free fatty acid lead to insulin resistance are not well understood. To help resolve this situation, we report that saturated fatty acid palmitate stimulated the expression of inducible nitric oxide (NO) synthase and the production of reactive oxygen species and NO in L6 myotubes. Additionally, palmitate caused a significant dose-dependent increase in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) damage and a subsequent decrease in L6 myotube viability and ATP levels at concentrations as low as 0.5 mM. Furthermore, palmitate induced apoptosis, which was detected by DNA fragmentation, caspase-3 cleavage, and cytochrome c release. N-acetyl cysteine, a precursor compound for glutathione formation, aminoguanidine, an inducible NO synthase inhibitor, and 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(4-sulphonatophenyl) porphyrinato iron (III), a peroxynitrite inhibitor, all prevented palmitate-induced mtDNA damage and diminished palmitate-induced cytotoxicity. We conclude that exposure of L6 myotubes to palmitate induced mtDNA damage and triggered mitochondrial dysfunction, which caused apoptosis. Additionally, our findings indicate that palmitate-induced mtDNA damage and cytotoxicity in skeletal muscle cells were caused by overproduction of peroxynitrite.     

Disruption of Sur2-containing K(ATP) channels enhances insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in skeletal muscle

ATP-sensitive potassium channels (K(ATP)) are involved in a diverse array of physiologic functions including protection of tissue against ischemic insult, regulation of vascular tone, and modulation of insulin secretion. To improve our understanding of the role of K(ATP) in these processes, we used a gene-targeting strategy to generate mice with a disruption in the muscle-specific K(ATP) regulatory subunit, SUR2. Insertional mutagenesis of the Sur2 locus generated homozygous null (Sur2(-/-)) mice and heterozygote (Sur2(+/-)) mice that are viable and phenotypically similar to their wild-type littermates to 6 weeks of age despite, respectively, half or no SUR2 mRNA expression or channel activity in skeletal muscle or heart. Sur2(-/-) animals had lower fasting and fed serum glucose, exhibited improved glucose tolerance during a glucose tolerance test, and demonstrated a more rapid and severe hypoglycemia after administration of insulin. Enhanced glucose use was also observed during in vivo hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp studies during which Sur2(-/-) mice required a greater glucose infusion rate to maintain a target blood glucose level. Enhanced insulin action was intrinsic to the skeletal muscle, as in vitro insulin-stimulated glucose transport was 1.5-fold greater in Sur2(-/-) muscle than in wild type. Thus, membrane excitability and K(ATP) activity, to our knowledge, seem to be new components of the insulin-stimulated glucose uptake mechanism, suggesting possible future therapeutic approaches for individuals suffering from diabetes mellitus.     

Contraction stimulates translocation of glucose transporter GLUT4 in skeletal muscle through a mechanism distinct from that of insulin.

The acute effects of contraction and insulin on the glucose transport and GLUT4 glucose transporter translocation were investigated in rat soleus muscles by using a 3-O-methylglucose transport assay and the sensitive exofacial labeling technique with the impermeant photoaffinity reagent 2-N-4-(1-azi-2,2,2-trifluoroethyl)benzoyl-1,3-bis(D-mannose-4-y loxy)-2- propylamine (ATB-BMPA), respectively. Addition of wortmannin, which inhibits phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, reduced insulin-stimulated glucose transport (8.8 +/- 0.5 mumol per ml per h vs. 1.4 +/- 0.1 mumol per ml per h) and GLUT4 translocation [2.79 +/- 0.20 pmol/g (wet muscle weight) vs. 0.49 +/- 0.05 pmol/g (wet muscle weight)]. In contrast, even at a high concentration (1 microM), wortmannin had no effect on contraction-mediated glucose uptake (4.4 +/- 0.1 mumol per ml per h vs. 4.1 +/- 0.2 mumol per ml per h) and GLUT4 cell surface content [1.75 +/- 0.16 pmol/g (wet muscle weight) vs. 1.52 +/- 0.16 pmol/g (wet muscle weight)]. Contraction-mediated translocation of the GLUT4 transporters to the cell surface was closely correlated with the glucose transport activity and could account fully for the increment in glucose uptake after contraction. The combined effects of contraction and maximal insulin stimulation were greater than either stimulation alone on glucose transport activity (11.5 +/- 0.4 mumol per ml per h vs. 5.6 +/- 0.2 mumol per ml per h and 9.0 +/- 0.2 mumol per ml per h) and on GLUT4 translocation [4.10 +/- 0.20 pmol/g (wet muscle weight) vs. 1.75 +/- 0.25 pmol/g (wet muscle weight) and 3.15 +/- 0.18 pmol/g (wet muscle weight)]. The results provide evidence that contraction stimulates translocation of GLUT4 in skeletal muscle through a mechanism distinct from that of insulin.     

The sentrin-conjugating enzyme mUbc9 interacts with GLUT4 and GLUT1 glucose transporters and regulates transporter levels in skeletal muscle cells

Glucose transport in insulin-regulated tissues is mediated by the GLUT4 and GLUT1 transporters. Using the yeast two-hybrid system, we have cloned the sentrin-conjugating enzyme mUbc9 as a protein that interacts with the GLUT4 COOH-terminal intracellular domain. The mUbc9 enzyme was found to bind directly to GLUT4 and GLUT1 through an 11-aa sequence common to the two transporters and to modify both transporters covalently by conjugation with the mUbc9 substrate, sentrin. Overexpression of mUbc9 in L6 skeletal muscle cells decreased GLUT1 transporter abundance 65%, resulting in decreased basal glucose transport. By contrast, mUbc9 overexpression increased GLUT4 abundance 8-fold, leading to enhanced transport stimulation by insulin. A dominant-negative mUbc9 mutant lacking catalytic activity had effects opposite to those of wild-type mUbc9. The regulation of GLUT4 and GLUT1 was specific, as evidenced by an absence of mUbc9 interaction with or regulation of the GLUT3 transporter isoform in L6 skeletal muscle cells. The mUbc9 sentrin-conjugating enzyme represents a novel regulator of GLUT1 and GLUT4 protein levels with potential importance as a determinant of basal and insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in normal and pathophysiological states.     

Regulation of insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in rat white adipose tissue upon chronic central leptin infusion: effects on adiposity

Leptin enhances the glucose utilization in most insulin target tissues and paradoxically decreases it in white adipose tissue (WAT), but knowledge of the mechanisms underlying the inhibitory effect of central leptin on the insulin-dependent glucose uptake in WAT is limited. After 7 d intracerebroventricular leptin treatment (0.2 μg/d) of rats, the overall insulin sensitivity and the responsiveness of WAT after acute in vivo insulin administration were analyzed. We also performed unilateral WAT denervation to clarify the role of the autonomic nervous system in leptin effects on the insulin-stimulated [(3)H]-2-deoxyglucose transport in WAT. Central leptin improved the overall insulin sensitivity but decreased the in vivo insulin action in WAT, including insulin receptor autophosphorylation, insulin receptor substrate-1 tyrosine-phosphorylation, and Akt activation. In this tissue, insulin receptor substrate-1 and glucose transporter 4 mRNA and protein levels were down-regulated after central leptin treatment. Additionally, a remarkable up-regulation of resistin, together with an augmented expression of suppressor of cytokine signaling 3 in WAT, was also observed in leptin-treated rats. As a result, the insulin-stimulated glucose transporter 4 insertion at the plasma membrane and the glucose uptake in WAT were impaired in leptin-treated rats. Finally, denervation of WAT abolished the inhibitory effect of central leptin on glucose transport and decreased suppressor of cytokine signaling 3 and resistin levels in this tissue, suggesting that resistin, in an autocrine/paracrine manner, might be a mediator of central leptin antagonism of insulin action in WAT. We conclude that central leptin, inhibiting the insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in WAT, may regulate glucose availability for triacylglyceride formation and accumulation in this tissue, thereby contributing to the control of adiposity.     

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.     

Genetic and nongenetic determinants of skeletal muscle glucose transporter 4 messenger ribonucleic acid levels and insulin action in twins

CONTEXT: Insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in skeletal muscle is mediated through translocation of the insulin-sensitive glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4)-containing vesicles to the plasma membrane. Thus, skeletal muscle GLUT4 content plays an important role in whole-body insulin sensitivity. OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were 1) to examine the relative impact of genetic vs. environmental factors on skeletal muscle GLUT4 mRNA expression using biometric modeling, and 2) to identify factors influencing the expression of GLUT4 and insulin-stimulated whole-body metabolism. DESIGN: We measured GLUT4 mRNA expression in biopsies from young and elderly monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) twins before and during a 2-h hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp including 3-(3)H-tritiated glucose and indirect calorimetry. PARTICIPANTS: A random sample of young (22-31 yr; n = 89) and elderly (57-66 yr; n = 69) same sex MZ and DZ twin pairs identified through the Danish Twin Register were studied. RESULTS: We found a major genetic component in the control of basal and insulin-stimulated GLUT4 mRNA expression in young and elderly twins. GLUT4 gene expression increased upon insulin stimulation in both young and elderly twins. Multiple regression analysis revealed that both basal and insulin-stimulated GLUT4 mRNA expressions were positively related to birth weight and total body aerobic capacity and were higher in MZ vs. DZ twins as well as in males vs. females. Both basal and insulin-stimulated expressions of GLUT4 were independently and significantly related to whole-body in vivo insulin action, nonoxidative glucose metabolism, and glucose oxidation. CONCLUSION: We show that skeletal muscle GLUT4 gene expression in twins is significantly and independently related to glucose metabolism and is determined by both genetic and nongenetic factors, including zygosity and birth weight.     

Comparing effects of leptin and insulin on glucose metabolism in skeletal muscle: evidence for an effect of leptin on glucose uptake and decarboxylation

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of leptin and the combination of insulin and leptin on glucose metabolism in incubated rat soleus muscle. ANIMALS: Male lean albino rats (50-70 g) of the Wistar strain were used in all experiments. MEASUREMENTS: 2-Deoxy-D-[3H]-glucose (2-DG) uptake, glycogen synthesis, lactate synthesis, glucose and pyruvate decarboxylation. RESULTS: Leptin (1, 10 and 100 nM), increased 2-Deoxyglucose uptake from 4.07+/-0.23 micromol/h(-1)/g(-1) (basal) to 5.88+/-0.29 micromol/h(-1)/g(-1) (100 nM) (P < 0.05); however, leptin did not potentiate the effect of either physiological (100 microU/ml) or supra-physiological (10000 microU/ml) insulin concentrations on glucose uptake. Glycogen synthesis rose almost 2-fold in the presence of supra-physiological leptin concentrations (100 nM). The combination of insulin and leptin did not present any additional effect on glycogen synthesis beyond that caused by insulin. Compared to the control group, the decarboxylation of [U-14C] D-glucose increased 75%, 246% and 304% (P < 0.05) in the presence of 1, 10 and 100nM leptin, respectively. When leptin (100 nM) was combined with insulin in the incubation medium, the 14CO2 production rose almost 4-fold (397%) (P < 0.05) and more than 5-fold (527%) (P < 0.05) for the 100 microU/ml and 10000 microU/ml insulin concentrations, respectively. In the presence of leptin (100 nM), the decarboxylation of [1-14C]- and [2-14C]-pyruvate in incubated muscles rose 89% and 49%, respectively, indicating that both pyruvate dehydrogenase and Krebs cycle are activated by leptin. CONCLUSION: These data demonstrate that, in soleus muscle, leptin per se exerts a direct and acute insulin-like effect, stimulating glucose uptake, glycogen synthesis, lactate formation and glucose oxidation.     

Pongamol from Pongamia pinnata stimulates glucose uptake by increasing surface GLUT4 level in skeletal muscle cells

Skeletal muscle is the major site of postprandial glucose disposal and augmenting glucose uptake into this tissue may attenuate insulin resistance that precedes type 2 diabetes mellitus. Here, we investigated the effect of pongamol, an identified lead molecule from the fruits of Pongamia pinnata, on glucose uptake and GLUT4 translocation in skeletal muscle cells. In L6-GLUT4myc myotubes treatment with pongamol significantly promoted both glucose transport and GLUT4 translocation to the cell surface in a concentration-dependent manner, without changing the total amount of GLUT4 protein and GLUT4 mRNA, effects that were also additive with insulin. Cycloheximide treatment inhibited the effect of pongamol on GLUT4 translocation suggesting the requirement of new protein synthesis. The pongamol-induced increase in GLUT4 translocation was completely abolished by wortmannin, and pongamol significantly potentiated insulin-mediated phosphorylation of AKT (Ser-473). We conclude that pongamol-induced increase in glucose uptake in L6 myotubes is the result of an increased translocation of GLUT4 to plasma membrane, driven by a PI-3-K/AKT dependent mechanism.     

胰岛素调节骨骼肌细胞葡萄糖转运子4内在活性的研究

目的探讨胰岛素刺激骨骼肌摄取葡萄糖的机制。方法观察GluT4转位和葡萄糖摄取对SB203580和Wortmannin的响应,以及胰岛素在分化前后的细胞中对两者的作用,研究胰岛素信号通路。结果胰岛素分别增加GluT4转位和葡萄糖摄取2.5±0.2倍和2.2±0.1倍;但t1/2不同,分别为3.3min和6.0min;且两者对Wortmannin的敏感性不同,IC50分别为43nmol/L和3nmol/L。SB203580分别抑制64%和62%胰岛素刺激的葡萄糖摄取和细胞膜上GluT4的标记,但不影响GluT4转位;胰岛素刺激前骨骼肌细胞葡萄糖摄取增加的倍数(1.7±0.1倍vs对照组)小于GluT4转位增加的倍数(2.3±0.1倍vs对照组)。结论成熟骨骼肌细胞中存在两个胰岛素信号转导途径,分别介导GluT4的转位和活化,胰岛素利用这两条信号通路达到最大的刺激细胞摄取葡萄糖的作用。     

Calorie restriction initiated at middle age improved glucose tolerance without affecting age-related impairments of insulin signaling in rat skeletal muscle

Calorie restriction (CR) may affect glucose tolerance via modulation of the insulin action in skeletal muscle. The present study investigated the effect of CR initiated at middle age in rats bearing glucose intolerance, in comparison with CR at a younger age. Male F344 rats at 2.5 and 18months (mo) of age were fed ad libitum (AL) or 30% CR diets for 4-4.5mo, subjected to glucose tolerance testing, and then sacrificed 15min after intraperitoneal glucose or saline injection to evaluate glucose-stimulated insulin response and subsequent activation of insulin signaling molecules. The protein abundance of phosphorylated (p) insulin receptors, p-Akt, and p-atypical PKC and the membrane fraction of glucose transporter 4 in quadriceps femoris muscle (QFM) were analyzed by EIA or immunoblotting. CR initiated either at young or middle age improved glucose tolerance with a lower serum insulin response to glucose. However, middle-aged CR did not improve aging-related impairments in insulin signaling in QFM. The present results emphasized the possibilities of CR activation of an insulin-independent mechanism in skeletal muscle and also of the involvement of non-muscle tissues in glucose uptake.