Glucose utilization in muscle fiber types: use of the partial pancreatectomized rat model to distinguish effects of glucose and insulin on insulin resistance.

We have used the partially pancreatectomized infusion model in order to examine individual and combined effects of glucose and insulin on insulin resistance in rat skeletal muscles. Infusing glucose or insulin can produce animals which are hyperglycemic, hyperinsulinemic, or both. Individual and combined effects of chronic hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia on basal and insulin-mediated glucose utilization indices in glycolytic and oxidative muscle fibers were examined by 2-deoxyglucose uptake. Hyperglycemia reduced the basal glucose utilization index by 49% and hyperinsulinemia by 55%, while combined hyperglycemia + hyperinsulinemia diminished 2-deoxyglucose uptake by 69%. Maximally insulin-stimulated utilization was diminished only 28% under hyperglycemia but by 81% in the hyperinsulinemic state. In order to assess utilization in individual muscle fibers, uptake was examined in three tissues of differing fiber composition. The slow-twitch oxidative soleus muscle demonstrated greater basal uptake than the fast-twitch gastrocnemius (glycolytic) and quadriceps (oxidative) muscles. In addition basal (though not maximally insulin-stimulated) glucose utilization in the fast-twitch fibers was affected by chronic glucose and insulin to a greater extent than the slow-twitch soleus muscle, indicating that chronic hyperglycemia is more likely to precipitate insulin resistance in fast-twitch muscles. Significant differences in glucose metabolism among muscle fiber types suggests that results from insulin resistance studies in mixed muscles may be skewed according to their fiber composition.

Divergence between GLUT4 mRNA and protein abundance in skeletal muscle of insulin resistant rats.

Hyperglycemia and skeletal muscle insulin resistance coexist in uncontrolled type 2 diabetes mellitus. Similar defects in insulin action were observed in glucose-infused, normal rats, a model of glucose toxicity. In these rats insulin-stimulated glucose uptake by skeletal muscle was decreased due to a post-receptor defect. We investigated whether the impaired glucose uptake resulted from a decrease in the abundance of the predominant muscle glucose transporter (GLUT4) mRNA and/or protein. GLUT4 protein abundance in the hyperglycemic rats was not different from the control group despite a 50% decrease in muscle glucose uptake. GLUT4 mRNA abundance was 2.5-fold greater in the hyperglycemic rats as compared to the control animals. We conclude that the coexistence of hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia results in (1) a defect in GLUT4 compartmentalization and/or functional activity and (2) a divergence between GLUT4 mRNA levels and translation.

Quantitation of GLUT1 and GLUT4 mRNA using a solution hybridization assay.

The development of a solution hybridization assay for detecting GLUT1 and GLUT4 mRNA is described. The details of this assay are described in which copy RNA is used to quantitate messenger RNA in total RNA samples. This solution hybridization assay is highly specific and reproducible and is significantly more sensitive than Northern blotting. Since GLUT mRNAs can be quantitated in as little as 25 mg tissue, this technique is essential when the supply of tissue is limited. Furthermore, the elimination of gel-based separation techniques allows for mRNA quantitation in several hundred samples within two days following isolation of samples.