Research Article, Endocrinol Diabetes Res Vol: 1 Issue: 2
Distinct Changes in Adipose Tissue and Muscle in Response to Excess Systemic Glucose in Rats
X Julia Xu1*, Amanda E Brandon2, Ella Stuart2, Kaajal Patel1, Reyhan Gedik1, Asish Saha1, Edward W Kraegen2,3 and Neil B Ruderman1 | |
1Department of Medicine, Diabetes and Metabolism Unit, Section of Endocrinology, Boston University Medical Center, USA | |
2Diabetes and Obesity Program, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Australia, UK | |
3Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia, UK | |
Corresponding author : X Julia Xu Department of Medicine, Diabetes and Metabolism Unit, Section of Endocrinology, Boston University Medical Center, 650 Albany Street, MA 02118, Boston, USA Tel: 617 6387087 Fax: 617 638 7094 E-mail: juliaxu@bu.edu |
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Received: November 26, 2014 Accepted: April 29, 2015 Published: May 01, 2015 | |
Citation: Xu XJ, Brandon AE, Stuart E, Patel K, Gedik R, et al. (2015) Distinct Changes in Adipose Tissue and Muscle in Response to Excess Systemic Glucose in Rats. Endocrinol Diabetes Res 1:2. doi:10.4172/2470-7570.1000106 |
Abstract
Objective: Excess nutrients can cause insulin resistance in skeletal muscle in vivo. However, the response of white adipose tissue is less clear. In a chronic glucose infusion model (1 and 4 days), distinct adaptations in muscle and white adipose tissue have been described. Muscle developed sustained insulin resistance after 1 day of glucose infusion but adipose tissue did not. Exactly what distinguishes adipose tissue from muscle in response to glucose oversupply remains to be determined. The aim of the present study was to investigate the early (3-8 h) metabolic and signaling changes that take place in epididymal fat pads, and to a lesser extent, red quadriceps muscle, using an acute glucose infusion model.
Methods: Hyperglycemia (~11 mM) and hyperinsulinemia were generated by infusing glucose into rats for 3, 5, or 8 h.
Results: We found that similar to red quadriceps muscle, AMPactivated protein kinase (AMPK) activity was diminished in epididymal fat pads of the glucose infused rats. Yet, both glucose uptake and triglyceride synthesis were increased in epididymal fat whereas muscle showed a progressive decrease in glucose utilization and glycogen synthesis after 5 h. Insulin signaling, as determined by Akt phosphorylation (Ser473), remained intact in epididymal fat but not in red quadriceps muscle. Furthermore, unlike muscle, there was no evidence of PKC activation in epididymal fat.
Conclusion: The results confirmed and extend findings that suggest white adipose tissue responds very differently than muscle when exposed to sustained elevated concentration of glucose.