Identification of an intracellular pool of glucose transporters from basal and insulin-stimulated rat skeletal muscle

Increased glucose transport in nonexercising muscle

Changes in blood flow and muscle glycogen in nonexercising muscle during exercise suggest that glucose transport may be increased in nonexercising muscles. Therefore, we compared 3-O-methyl-D-glucose (3-MG) transport in exercised and nonexercised perfused rat hindlimb muscles (soleus, plantaris, and red and white gastrocnemius), in the absence and presence of insulin (30 nM). Specifically, the following four treatments were used: 1) normal rest, 2) normal exercise animals (90 min running 15 m/min, 8% grade), 3) hindlimb-suspended animals at rest (90 min), and 4) hindlimb-suspended animals while exercising on the forelimbs (90 min running 15 m/min, 8% grade). In separate groups of animals, it was shown from the analyses of the electromyographic interference patterns that muscle activity was sharply reduced in hindlimb-suspended muscles both at rest and during exercise (soleus and plantaris). Glycogen decrements were also observed in nonexercising muscles during exercise (soleus, plantaris, and red gastrocnemius; P less than 0.05), although these decrements were less than in the exercised muscles (P less than 0.05). Glucose transport differed among muscles (soleus = plantaris greater than red gastrocnemius greater than white gastrocnemius), and typical increments were observed after exercise (P less than 0.05) and with insulin stimulation (P less than 0.05). An additive effect of insulin and exercise was also observed (P less than 0.05). In nonexercised muscles with no insulin in the perfusate, an increase in 3-MG transport occurred (P less than 0.05). In the presence of insulin, an increase in 3-MG transport was also observed in the nonexercised red and white gastrocnemius muscles (P less than 0.05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Exercise-induced translocation of skeletal muscle glucose transporters

Skeletal muscle contractile activity results in increased rates of glucose transport that are associated with an increase in the number and activity of plasma membrane glucose transporters. In the current study it was determined whether exercise causes a translocation of glucose transporters from an intracellular pool to the plasma membrane and whether exercise and insulin stimulate the same glucose transporter protein. Plasma membrane glucose transporter number, measured by cytochalasin B binding, increased from 10.1 +/- 0.73 to 15.0 +/- 1.4 pmol/mg protein (P less than 0.01) in muscle of exercised rats, whereas microsomal membrane transporters decreased significantly from 6.0 +/- 0.7 to 4.2 +/- 0.4 pmol/mg protein (P less than 0.05). Western blot analysis using the monoclonal antibody mAb 1F8 (specific for GLUT-4) demonstrated a 45% increase in plasma membrane GLUT-4 from exercised skeletal muscle compared with controls, whereas microsomal membranes from the exercised muscle had a concomitant 25% decrease in GLUT-4 protein. These data suggest that exercise recruits transporters to the plasma membrane from an intracellular microsomal pool, similar to the translocation of transporters that occurs with insulin stimulation. Furthermore, both exercise and insulin stimulate the translocation of GLUT-4 in skeletal muscle, while GLUT-1 is not altered.

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.

Insulin-like action of catecholamines and Ca2+ to stimulate glucose transport and GLUT4 translocation in perfused rat heart

The uptake of 2-deoxyglucose by perfused rat hearts was compared to the distribution of the insulin-regulatable glucose transporter (GLUT4) in membrane preparations from the same hearts. The hearts were treated with the alpha-adrenergic combination of epinephrine + propranolol, the beta-adrenergic agonist isoproterenol, high (8 mM) Ca2+ concentrations, insulin and the alpha adrenergic combination or insulin alone. Epinephrine (1 microM) + propranolol (10 microM), isoproterenol (10 microM), high Ca2+, insulin (1 microM) + epinephrine (1 microM) + propranolol (10 microM) and insulin (1 microM) each led to an increase in 2-deoxyglucose uptake and a shift in the recovery of the GLUT4 from a high-speed pellet membrane fraction (putatively intracellular) to a low-speed pellet membrane fraction (putatively sarcolemmal). There were significant correlations (r = -0.673, P less than 0.001) between the stimulation of 2-deoxyglucose uptake and the loss of GLUT4 from the intracellular membrane fraction, or the increase in the sarcolemmal fraction. The data provide evidence that the GLUT4 is translocated by agents that stimulate glucose transport in heart, and therefore this mechanism is not restricted to insulin.

Uniporters and anion antiporters

The past year has seen a flurry of activity in the area of protein-mediated hexose uniport. Topics of interest covered here include: structure-function studies; the interaction of glucose carriers with glycolytic enzymes; regulation of cell surface glucose-carrier concentrations by insulin and the signalling mechanisms involved; and the role of the glucose-carrier isoform, GLUT2, in pancreatic beta-cell glucose-dependent insulin secretion. Nucleoside uniport and Glu-Asp antiport are also discussed briefly.

Insulin stimulates sodium-dependent phosphate transport by osteoblast-like cells

The rat osteosarcoma cell line UMR-106-01 has an osteoblast-like phenotype. When grown in monolayer culture, these cells transport Pi via a Na(+)-dependent carrier. The Na(+)-Pi cotransport system is stimulated by parathyroid hormone (PTH). Because there are insulin receptors on osteoblast-like cells, we determined possible effects of insulin on Na(+)-Pi cotransport in UMR-106-01 cells. Incubation of cells with 10(-8) M insulin for 3 h produced a 73% increase (P less than 0.025) in Na(+)-Pi cotransport. There was no significant change in Na(+)-L-alanine cotransport or in Na(+)-independent uptake of Pi and alanine. The stimulatory action of insulin on Na(+)-Pi cotransport was present within 2 h and was dose dependent in the range 10(-10) to 10(-7) M. The increase in Na(+)-Pi cotransport was accompanied by an increase in apparent maximal velocity with no change in apparent Michaelis constant for Pi. Use of cycloheximide to block de novo protein synthesis did not interfere with this action of insulin. We conclude that insulin, like PTH, directly stimulates the Na(+)-Pi cotransport system in osteoblast-like cells. The mechanism remains to be determined.

Differential expression of the GLUT1 and GLUT4 glucose transporters during differentiation of L6 muscle cells

Skeletal muscle is the main tissue responsible for glucose utilization in the fed state, and it expresses the ubiquitous GLUT1 glucose transporter and the muscle/fat specific GLUT4 glucose transporter. Here we investigated the expression of these transporters during muscle cell differentiation in vitro. Rat L6 muscle cells were grown to the stages of myoblasts, alignment and fused myotubes. Glucose (2-deoxy-D-glucose) transport was higher in myoblasts, decreasing with the progression of alignment and cell fusion. Conversely, insulin-stimulated glucose uptake was negligible in myoblasts, and increased with cell alignment and fusion. The cellular content of GLUT1 transporters decreased and that of GLUT4 transporters increased with cell fusion. Insulin rapidly stimulated glucose uptake in fused myotubes maintained in 2% serum but not in 10% serum. In 10% serum, basal glucose uptake increased as did the cellular content of GLUT1 transporters, while GLUT4 transporter content did not change. These results indicate that both transporters are regulated oppositely during muscle cell differentiation, and that high serum concentrations override the capacity of insulin to regulate transport by inducing overexpression of the GLUT1 transporter.

Effects of insulin and phospholipase C in control and denervated rat skeletal muscle

Phospholipase C (PLC), an enzyme that increases endogenous 1,2-diacylglycerol (DAG), caused dose-dependent stimulation of 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG) uptake in rat soleus muscles; the maximal effect was less than that of insulin. In denervated muscles the effect of insulin on 2-DG uptake was markedly reduced, whereas the response to PLC was identical to that of control muscles. Both PLC and insulin stimulated glucose incorporation into glycogen in control but not in denervated solei. Amino acid transport was unaffected by PLC; however, the enzyme completely inhibited the stimulation of amino acid transport by insulin. PLC did not activate the insulin receptor tyrosine kinase but decreased activation of the receptor by insulin in vivo. Basal muscle DAG content increased after denervation. Incubation with PLC markedly increased DAG in control and in denervated muscle. Insulin increased total DAG mass less than PLC in control muscles and did not affect DAG in denervated muscles. In media without added Ca2+, PLC stimulation of DAG production was impaired, and 2-DG uptake was unresponsive to PLC. The data are consistent with, but do not prove, that a subpopulation of DAGs may participate in insulin-mediated stimulation of glucose transport. They also suggest that the denervation-induced insulin resistance of glucose transport may reflect impaired generation of certain DAGs involved in the signaling cascade.

Glucose transporters: structure, function, and regulation

Glucose is transported into the cell by facilitated diffusion via a family of structurally related proteins, whose expression is tissue-specific. One of these transporters, GLUT4, is expressed specifically in insulin-sensitive tissues. A possible change in the synthesis and/or in the amount of GLUT4 has therefore been studied in situations associated with an increase or a decrease in the effect of insulin on glucose transport. Chronic hyperinsulinemia in rats produces a hyper-response of white adipose tissue to insulin and resistance in skeletal muscle. The hyper-response of white adipose tissue is associated with an increase in GLUT4 mRNA and protein. In contrast, in skeletal muscle, a decrease in GLUT4 mRNA and a decrease (tibialis) or no change (diaphragm) in GLUT4 protein are measured, suggesting a divergent regulation by insulin of glucose transport and transporters in the 2 tissues. In rodents, brown adipose tissue is very sensitive to insulin. The response of this tissue to insulin is decreased in obese insulin-resistant fa/fa rats. Treatment with a beta-adrenergic agonist increases insulin-stimulated glucose transport, GLUT4 protein and mRNA. The data suggest that transporter synthesis can be modulated in vivo by insulin (muscle, white adipose tissue) or by catecholamines (brown adipose tissue).

Recruitment of GLUT-4 glucose transporters by insulin in diabetic rat skeletal muscle

The cause of reduced insulin-stimulated glucose transport in skeletal muscle of diabetic rats was investigated. Basal and insulin-stimulated glucose uptake into hindquarter muscles of 7-day diabetic rats were 70% and 50% lower, respectively, than in nondiabetic controls. Subcellular fractionation of hindquarter muscles yielded total crude membranes, plasma membranes and intracellular membranes. The number of GLUT-4 glucose transporters was lower in crude membranes, plasma membranes and intracellular membranes, relative to non-diabetic rat muscles. These results were paralleled by reductions in D-glucose-protectable binding of cytochalasin B. Insulin caused a redistribution of GLUT-4 transporters from intracellular membranes to plasma membranes, in both control and diabetic rat muscles. This redistribution was also recorded using binding of cytochalasin B. The insulin-dependent decrement in glucose transporters in intracellular membranes was similar for both animal groups, but the gain and final amount of transporters in the plasma membrane were 50% lower in the diabetic group. The results suggest that insulin signalling and recruitment of GLUT-4 glucose transporters occur in diabetic rat muscle, and that the diminished insulin response may be due to fewer glucose transporters operating in the muscle plasma membrane.

Glucose transporter protein content and glucose transport capacity in rat skeletal muscles

The relationships among fiber type, glucose transporter (GLUT-4) protein content, and glucose transport activity stimulated maximally with insulin and/or contractile activity were studied by use of the rat epitrochlearis (15% type I-20% type II2a-65% type IIb), soleus (84-16-0%), extensor digitorum longus (EDL, 3-57-40%), and flexor digitorum brevis (FDB, 7-92-1%) muscles. Insulin-stimulated 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG) uptake was greatest in the soleus, followed (in order) by the FDB, EDL, and epitrochlearis. On the other hand, contractile activity induced the greatest increase in 2-DG uptake in the FDB, followed by the EDL, soleus, and epitrochlearis. The effects of insulin and contractile activity on 2-DG uptake were additive in all the muscle preparations, with the relative rates being FDB greater than soleus greater than EDL greater than epitrochlearis. Quantitation of the GLUT-4 protein content with the antiserum R820 showed the following pattern: FDB greater than soleus greater than EDL greater than epitrochlearis. Linear regression analysis showed that whereas a relatively low and nonsignificant correlation existed between GLUT-4 protein content and 2-DG uptake stimulated by insulin alone, significant correlations existed between GLUT-4 protein content and 2-DG uptake stimulated either by contractions alone (r = 0.950) or by insulin and contractions in combination (r = 0.992). These results suggest that the differences in maximally stimulated glucose transport activity among the three fiber types may be related to differences in their content of GLUT-4 protein.

Contractile activity increases plasma membrane glucose transporters in absence of insulin

To study the interactions between insulin and contraction on the skeletal muscle glucose transport system, the hindquarters of male rats were perfused in the absence of insulin, in the presence of insulin (30 mU/ml), during contractions induced by sciatic nerve stimulation, or during contractions plus insulin. Compared with control preparations, rates of glucose uptake in the perfused hindquarter were increased by 2.5- and 2.6-fold in the insulin and insulin plus contraction groups, respectively, but not significantly increased in the contraction only preparations. After perfusion, soleus and red and white gastrocnemius muscles from the hindquarter were pooled and used for the preparation of plasma membranes. Skeletal muscle plasma membrane vesicle glucose transport rates were 2.2 +/- 0.5, 7.9 +/- 1.7, 9.0 +/- 2.2, and 10.8 +/- 2.0 nmol.mg protein-1.s-1 (40 mM glucose), and plasma membrane glucose transporter numbers were 4.7 +/- 0.5, 8.1 +/- 0.9, 9.1 +/- 1.0, and 8.6 +/- 0.6 pmol/mg protein in the control, contraction, insulin, and insulin plus contraction groups, respectively. The transport-transporter ratio, an indication of plasma membrane glucose transporter intrinsic activity, was increased by contraction, insulin, and insulin plus contraction. These results demonstrate that contractile activity in the absence of insulin increases muscle plasma membrane glucose transport by increasing transporter number and intrinsic activity. In addition, under these experimental conditions, the effects of insulin and contraction to increase muscle glucose transport are not additive.