Prolonged incubation of skeletal muscle increases system A amino acid transport

Acute heat treatment improves insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in aged skeletal muscle

Aging is associated with insulin resistance and decreased insulin-stimulated glucose uptake into skeletal muscle. Although the mechanisms underlying age-related insulin resistance are not clearly defined, impaired defense against inflammation and tissue oxidative stress are likely causes. Heat shock proteins (HSPs) have been shown to protect tissue from oxidative stress and inhibit the activation of stress kinases such as JNK, known to interfere with the insulin signaling pathway. While the induction of HSPs via chronic heat treatment has been shown to protect skeletal muscle from obesity-related insulin resistance, the ability of heat treatment to improve insulin action in aged skeletal muscle is not known. In the present study, one bout of in vivo heat treatment applied to 24-mo-old Fischer 344 rats improved insulin-stimulated glucose uptake after 24 h in slow-twitch soleus muscles. In vitro heat treatment applied to young (3-mo-old) and aged (24-mo-old) soleus muscles increased expression of HSP72 and inhibited anisomycin-induced activation of JNK. In contrast, heat treatment had no effect on p38 MAPK, a MAPK strongly activated with anisomycin. Prior inhibition of HSP72 transcription with the pharmacological inhibitor KNK437 eliminated the ability of heat treatment to blunt JNK activation. This suggests that the ability of heat treatment to inhibit JNK activation in skeletal muscle is dependent on increased HSP72 expression. In conclusion, an acute bout of heat treatment can increase insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in aged skeletal muscle, with the underlying mechanism likely to be HSP72-mediated JNK inhibition.

The role of system A for neutral amino acid transport in the regulation of cell volume

System A is a secondary active, sodium dependent transport system for neutral amino acids. Strictly coupled with Na,K-ATPase, its activity determines the size of the intracellular amino acid pool, through a complex network of metabolic reaction and exchange fluxes. Many hormones and drugs affect system A activity in specific cell models or tissues. In all the cell models tested thus far the activity of the system is stimulated by amino acid starvation, cell cycle progression, and the incubation under hypertonic conditions. These three conditions produce marked alterations of cell volume. The stimulation of system A activity plays an important role in cell volume restoration, through an expansion of the intracellular amino acid pool. Under normal conditions, system A substrates represent a major fraction of cell compatible osmolytes, organic compounds that exert a protein stabilizing effect. It is, therefore, likely that the activation of system A represents a portion of a more complex response triggered by exposure to stresses of various nature. Since system A transporters have been recently cloned, the molecular bases of these regulatory mechanisms will probably be elucidated in a short time.

Decreased insulin-stimulated GLUT-4 translocation in glycogen-supercompensated muscles of exercised rats

It was recently found that the effect of an exercise-induced increase in muscle GLUT-4 on insulin-stimulated glucose transport is masked by a decreased responsiveness to insulin in glycogen-supercompensated muscle. We evaluated the role of hexosamines in this decrease in insulin responsiveness and found that UDP-N-acetyl hexosamine concentrations were not higher in glycogen-supercompensated muscles than in control muscles with a low glycogen content. We determined whether the smaller increase in glucose transport is due to translocation of fewer GLUT-4 to the cell surface with the 2-N-4-(1-azi-2,2,2-trifluroethyl)-benzoyl-1, 3-bis(D-mannose-4-yloxy)-2-propylamine (ATB-[2-3H]BMPA) photolabeling technique. The insulin-induced increase in GLUT-4 at the cell surface was no greater in glycogen-supercompensated exercised muscle than in muscles of sedentary controls and only 50% as great as in exercised muscles with a low glycogen content. We conclude that the decreased insulin responsiveness of glucose transport in glycogen-supercompensated muscle is not due to increased accumulation of hexosamine biosynthetic pathway end products and that the smaller increase in glucose transport is mediated by translocation of fewer GLUT-4 to the cell surface.

A high fat diet impairs stimulation of glucose transport in muscle. Functional evaluation of potential mechanisms

A high fat diet causes resistance of skeletal muscle glucose transport to insulin and contractions. We tested the hypothesis that fat feeding causes a change in plasma membrane composition that interferes with functioning of glucose transporters and/or insulin receptors. Epitrochlearis muscles of rats fed a high (50% of calories) fat diet for 8 weeks showed approximately 50% decreases in insulin- and contraction-stimulated 3-O-methylglucose transport. Similar decreases in stimulated glucose transport activity occurred in muscles of wild-type mice with 4 weeks of fat feeding. In contrast, GLUT1 overexpressing muscles of transgenic mice fed a high fat diet showed no decreases in their high rates of glucose transport, providing evidence against impaired glucose transporter function. Insulin-stimulated system A amino acid transport, insulin receptor (IR) tyrosine kinase activity, and insulin-stimulated IR and IRS-1 tyrosine phosphorylation were all normal in muscles of rats fed the high fat diet for 8 weeks. However, after 30 weeks on the high fat diet, there was a significant reduction in insulin-stimulated tyrosine phosphorylation in muscle. The increases in GLUT4 at the cell surface induced by insulin or muscle contractions, measured with the 3H-labeled 2-N-4-(1-azi-2,2, 2-trifluoroethyl)-benzoyl-1,3-bis-(D-mannose-4-yloxy)-2-propyla min e photolabel, were 26-36% smaller in muscles of the 8-week high fat-fed rats as compared with control rats. Our findings provide evidence that (a) impairment of muscle glucose transport by 8 weeks of high fat feeding is not due to plasma membrane composition-related reductions in glucose transporter or insulin receptor function, (b) a defect in insulin receptor signaling is a late event, not a primary cause, of the muscle insulin resistance induced by fat feeding, and (c) impaired GLUT4 translocation to the cell surface plays a major role in the decrease in stimulated glucose transport.

Effects of growth factors and gut regulatory peptides on nutrient uptake in ovine muscle cell cultures

Effects of gut regulatory peptides and growth factors on the uptake of 2-aminoisobutyric acid (AIB) and 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DOG) were examined in differentiated ovine satellite cell cultures. Insulin and insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) gave maximal increases of 160-180% of controls for AIB and over 190% for 2-DOG. IGF-I showed half-maximal effects at 0.1-1 nM, and insulin at 1-10 nM. Bovine growth hormone (0.01-100 nM) had no effect. Gastrin, gastric inhibitory polypeptide (GIP), bombesin and somatostatin had no action in either the absence or presence of insulin. In primary cultures epidermal growth factor (EGF) increased the uptake of AIB (133-137%) and 2-DOG (171-176%). In clonal lines, EGF had little effect on nutrient uptake but still simulated protein synthesis.

Use of superfused rat skeletal muscle for metabolic studies: assessment of pH by 31P n.m.r

We developed a muscle superfusion system suitable for metabolic studies of small isolated rat muscle ex vivo in real time and in a non-destructive manner by n.m.r. spectroscopy. In order to determine biochemical stability of superfused extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscle (from fasted 45 and 100 g rats), the energy state and the pH of muscle were continuously monitored by 31P n.m.r. spectroscopy. ATP and phosphocreatine remained stable during 2 h whatever the muscle size (20 or 45 mg). Neither metabolite was a sensitive probe of possible metabolic compartmentation within muscle under our experimental conditions. By contrast, the chemical shift of Pi by its sensitivity to pH was a discriminant factor in the assessment of muscle stability. Indeed, heterogeneity of pH was observed only in the 45 mg EDL muscle resulting from a core region with loss of glycogen. Together, these observations suggest deviations of energy metabolism to supply ATP. Consequently, pH may be considered as a new real-time criterion for monitoring a metabolic heterogeneity due to changes in energy metabolism of muscle preparations ex vivo.

Characteristics of glutamine transport in primary tissue culture of rat skeletal muscle

Glutamine transport was studied in preconfluent monolayered, mononucleated myoblasts (4 days old) and in fused, multinucleated, differentiated myotubes (10 days old), both prepared from neonatal rat skeletal muscle. The initial (60 s) rate of 50 microM glutamine uptake in myoblasts and myotubes was stereospecific, saturable, and largely (80%) Na+ dependent. At glutamine concentrations of 0.01-1 mM, Na(+)-dependent uptake showed saturation kinetics: in myoblasts, the Michaelis constant (Km) was 197 +/- 38 microM, maximum velocity (Vmax) was 1,165 +/- 60 pmol.min-1.mg protein-1; in myotubes, Km was 174 +/- 51 microM and Vmax was 1,435 +/- 47 pmol.min-1.mg protein-1. The Na(+)-dependent glutamine uptake was Li+ tolerant in both myoblasts and myotubes. The Na(+)-dependent uptake of 50 microM L-[3H]glutamine was investigated in the presence of various amino acids at 0.01-10 mM. Histidine and asparagine competitively inhibited glutamine uptake, but inhibition by serine was noncompetitive; glutamate, arginine, leucine, and 2-aminobicyclo(2,2,1)heptane-2-carboxylate (BCH) had no significant inhibitory effects; 2-(methyl-amino)isobutyrate (MeAIB) caused a small but significant inhibition. In parallel with a stimulation of glucose transport, addition of insulin stimulated Na(+)-dependent glutamine uptake within 1 h by a maximum of 27% in myoblasts and 42% in myotubes (half-maximal stimulation at 0.3 nM insulin). Glucagon had no effect. Kinetic analysis revealed that the insulin-stimulated increase in glutamine transport was due to a Vmax effect, which was cycloheximide inhibitable. The insulin-stimulated increase was Li+ tolerant and not inhibited by MeAIB or cysteine at 1 mM. The results indicate that the predominant glutamine transporter of neonatal rat skeletal muscle cells in primary tissue culture in System Nm. System Nm also appears to be the major insulin-sensitive glutamine transport component in skeletal muscle. Primary muscle culture appears to be a useful preparation for studying glutamine transport and its regulation.

Glucose transporters and glucose transport in skeletal muscles of 1- to 25-mo-old rats

It is widely thought that aging results in development of insulin resistance in skeletal muscle. In this study, we examined the effects of growth and aging on the concentration of the GLUT-4 glucose transporter and on glucose transport activity in skeletal muscles of female Long-Evans rats. Relative amounts of immunoreactive GLUT-4 protein were measured in muscle homogenates of 1-, 10-, and 25-mo-old rats by immunoblotting with a polyclonal antibody directed against GLUT-4. In the epitrochlearis, plantaris, and the red and white regions of the quadriceps muscles, GLUT-4 immunoreactivity decreased by 14-33% between 1 and 10 mo of age and thereafter remained constant. In flexor digitorum brevis (FDB) and soleus muscles, GLUT-4 concentration was similar at all three ages studied. Glucose transport activity was assessed in epitrochlearis and FDB muscles by incubation with 2-deoxyglucose under the following conditions: basal, submaximal insulin, and either maximal insulin or maximal insulin combined with contractile activity. Glucose transport in the epitrochlearis muscle decreased by approximately 60% between 1 and 4 mo of age and then did not decline further between 4 and 25 mo of age. Transport activity in the FDB assessed with a maximally effective insulin concentration decreased only slightly (< 20%) between 1 and 7 mo of age. Aging, i.e., the transition from young adulthood to old age, was not associated with a decrease in glucose transport activity in either the epitrochlearis or the FDB.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Effects of prior exercise on the action of insulin-like growth factor I in skeletal muscle

Prior exercise increases insulin sensitivity for glucose and system A neutral amino acid transport activities in skeletal muscle. Insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) also activates these transport processes in resting muscle. It is not known, however, whether prior exercise increases IGF-I action in muscle. Therefore we determined the effect of a single exhausting bout of swim exercise on IGF-I-stimulated glucose transport activity [assessed by 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG) uptake] and system A activity [assessed by alpha-(methylamino)isobutyric acid (MeAIB) uptake] in the isolated rat epitrochlearis muscle. When measured 3.5 h after exercise, the responses to a submaximal concentration (0.2 nM), but not a maximal concentration (13.3 nM), of insulin for activation of 2-DG uptake and MeAIB uptake were enhanced. In contrast, prior exercise increased markedly both the submaximal (5 nM) and maximal (20 nM) responses to IGF-I for activation of 2-DG uptake, whereas only the submaximal response to IGF-I (3 nM) for MeAIB uptake was enhanced after exercise. We conclude that 1) prior exercise significantly enhances the response to a submaximal concentration of IGF-I for activation of the glucose transport and system A neutral amino acid transport systems in skeletal muscle and 2) the enhanced maximal response for IGF-I action after exercise is restricted to the signaling pathway for activation of the glucose transport system.

Characterization of the adenosine receptor modulating insulin action in rat skeletal muscle

The pharmacological profile of adenosine receptors in rat soleus muscle has been investigated by studying the effects of A1-and A2-selective adenosine receptor agonists on glucose utilization and the system A amino acid transporter under conditions where adenosine has been reported to exert a modulatory action on these insulin-sensitive processes. In the presence of adenosine deaminase and a sub-maximally effective concentration of insulin (50 microU/ml), the A1-selective agonists N6-cyclopentyladenosine and R(-)-N6-(2-phenylisopropyl)adenosine (R(-)PIA) caused concentration-dependent inhibitions of 2-deoxy[3H]glucose 6-phosphate and alpha-[14C]methylaminoisobutyric acid accumulations, but had no effect on the rate of [14C]glucose incorporation into glycogen, in incubated soleus muscle strips. These effects on glucose transport/phosphorylation and system A amino acid transport could be antagonized by 8-cyclopentyl-1,3- dipropylxanthine and 8-phenyltheophylline. The A2-selective adenosine receptor agonists CGS 21680 and 2-(phenylamino)adenosine were much less potent in their inhibition of these metabolic processes. These data support the proposal that adenosine exerts a post-receptor insulin-modulatory action in skeletal muscle and strongly suggest that this action is mediated by A1 adenosine receptors: the possible intracellular signalling mechanism(s) for this hormone-modulatory effect of adenosine are discussed.

Prolonged incubation of skeletal muscle in vitro: prevention of increases in glucose transport

During experiments involving prolonged incubation of skeletal muscle, we observed large increases in glucose transport activity. The basal rate of 3-O-methylglucose (3-MG) transport increased two- to fourfold in rat epitrochlearis muscles incubated for 9 h without insulin in Krebs-Henseleit buffer supplemented with 8 mM glucose. The stimulatory effect of a low concentration of insulin (30 microU/ml, added during the final 30 or 60 min of incubation) on glucose transport activity was enhanced 2.5-fold after 6 h and approximately 5-fold after 9 h of incubation. Exposure of muscles to 100 microU/ml of insulin for the first 8 h inhibited slightly but significantly the increase in insulin-stimulated 3-MG transport over a 9-h incubation period. Incubation of muscles in minimal essential medium (MEM) for 9 h inhibited the time-dependent rise in basal and insulin-stimulated transport by approximately 45%. The effect of MEM was reproduced with MEM essential, but not nonessential, amino acids. Incubation of muscles with MEM plus 100 microU/ml of insulin for the first 8 h prevented the increases in 3-MG transport activity measured after a 9-h incubation period. Muscles incubated for 9 h maintained ATP and phosphocreatine concentrations, and changes in glycogen concentrations were small. Thus we have defined conditions for long-term incubation of skeletal muscle under which a progressive increase in glucose transport is prevented.