Distribution of glucose transporters in membrane fractions isolated from human adipose cells: relation to cell size

We examined insulin's effects on glucose transport and on subcellular transporter distribution in isolated human omental adipocytes of various sizes. Insulin stimulated 3-O-methylglucose transport by twofold in small cells, while a smaller and insignificant effect was measured in large cells. I...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Journal of clinical investigation 1986-10, Vol.78 (4), p.1051-1055
Main Authors: KARNIELI, E, BARZILAI, A, RAFAELOFF, R, ARMONI, M
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
3-O-Methylglucose
Adipose Tissue - cytology
Adipose Tissue - drug effects
Adult
Aged
Biological and medical sciences
Biological Transport, Active
Female
Humans
Insulin - pharmacology
Medical sciences
Membranes - analysis
Metabolic diseases
Methylglucosides - metabolism
Middle Aged
Monosaccharide Transport Proteins - analysis
Obesity
Obesity - metabolism
Tissue Distribution
Citations: Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:We examined insulin's effects on glucose transport and on subcellular transporter distribution in isolated human omental adipocytes of various sizes. Insulin stimulated 3-O-methylglucose transport by twofold in small cells, while a smaller and insignificant effect was measured in large cells. In the small cells, basal concentrations of glucose transporters were 2.9 and 17.2 pmol/mg membrane protein in the plasma and the low density microsomal membranes, respectively. Increasing cell size was associated with a 50% decrease in the concentration of transporters in each fraction, with no change in their total number per cell. Insulin stimulated the translocation of transporters from the intracellular pool to the plasma membranes, irrespective of cell size. Thus, insulin resistance at the postreceptor level, observed in human obesity, may be associated with a relative depletion of total transporters per cell together with a reduction in their intrinsic activity at the plasma membrane level.
ISSN:0021-9738
1558-8238
DOI:10.1172/JCI112660