Effect of muscle glycogen content on glucose uptake following exercise

1982 ◽  
Vol 52 (2) ◽  
pp. 434-437 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. D. Fell ◽  
S. E. Terblanche ◽  
J. L. Ivy ◽  
J. C. Young ◽  
J. O. Holloszy

This study examined the effects of raising muscle glycogen by carbohydrate feeding and of keeping muscle glycogen low by carbohydrate restriction following exhausting exercise on the ability of perfused skeletal muscle to take up glucose and to synthesize glycogen. Muscle glycogen concentration was more than twice as high in the rats fed carbohydrate as in those not given carbohydrate. Muscle glycogen synthesis during a 30-min perfusion with glucose and insulin was significantly greater in the animals with low muscle glycogen. Furthermore the muscles with low glycogen content converted a greater proportion of the glucose taken up to glycogen and less to lactate than did the muscles with high glycogen content. In rats subjected to exhausting exercise on the preceding day, the rate of glucose uptake by perfused skeletal muscle was significantly higher (60–80%) at the same insulin concentration in animals in which muscle glycogen was kept low than in those in which glycogen was raised by carbohydrate feeding.

2008 ◽  
Vol 294 (1) ◽  
pp. E28-E35 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michale Bouskila ◽  
Michael F. Hirshman ◽  
Jørgen Jensen ◽  
Laurie J. Goodyear ◽  
Kei Sakamoto

Insulin promotes dephosphorylation and activation of glycogen synthase (GS) by inactivating glycogen synthase kinase (GSK) 3 through phosphorylation. Insulin also promotes glucose uptake and glucose 6-phosphate (G-6- P) production, which allosterically activates GS. The relative importance of these two regulatory mechanisms in the activation of GS in vivo is unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate if dephosphorylation of GS mediated via GSK3 is required for normal glycogen synthesis in skeletal muscle with insulin. We employed GSK3 knockin mice in which wild-type GSK3α and -β genes are replaced with mutant forms (GSK3α/βS21A/S21A/S9A/S9A), which are nonresponsive to insulin. Although insulin failed to promote dephosphorylation and activation of GS in GSK3α/βS21A/S21A/S9A/S9Amice, glycogen content in different muscles from these mice was similar compared with wild-type mice. Basal and epinephrine-stimulated activity of muscle glycogen phosphorylase was comparable between wild-type and GSK3 knockin mice. Incubation of isolated soleus muscle in Krebs buffer containing 5.5 mM glucose in the presence or absence of insulin revealed that the levels of G-6- P, the rate of [14C]glucose incorporation into glycogen, and an increase in total glycogen content were similar between wild-type and GSK3 knockin mice. Injection of glucose containing 2-deoxy-[3H]glucose and [14C]glucose also resulted in similar rates of muscle glucose uptake and glycogen synthesis in vivo between wild-type and GSK3 knockin mice. These results suggest that insulin-mediated inhibition of GSK3 is not a rate-limiting step in muscle glycogen synthesis in mice. This suggests that allosteric regulation of GS by G-6- P may play a key role in insulin-stimulated muscle glycogen synthesis in vivo.


1981 ◽  
Vol 241 (5) ◽  
pp. C200-C203 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. L. Ivy ◽  
J. O. Holloszy

The effect of a bout of exercise on glucose uptake and glycogen synthesis in skeletal muscle was examined using a perfused rat hindlimb preparation. Rats were subjected to a bout of swimming. The exercise stress was moderate as reflected in a reduction of muscle glycogen concentration of only 50%. Glucose uptake and glycogen synthesis were measured in perfused hindlimb muscles for a 30-min period beginning approximately 60 min following the exercise. The rate of glucose uptake in the absence of insulin was 10-fold higher in hindlimbs of exercised animals than in the controls. The rate of glucose uptake was also higher in exercised than in control muscles in the presence of 50 microunits/ml or 10 mU/ml of insulin, but these differences were smaller than that found in the absence of insulin. Conversion to glycogen was the major pathway for disposal of the glucose taken up by muscle. The rate of glycogen accumulation in the exercised plantaris muscles was greater than in the control muscles both in the absence and presence of insulin.


2011 ◽  
Vol 301 (6) ◽  
pp. E1155-E1162 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ee L. Lim ◽  
Kieren G. Hollingsworth ◽  
Fiona E. Smith ◽  
Peter E. Thelwall ◽  
Roy Taylor

Mitochondrial dysfunction has been implicated in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes. We hypothesized that any impairment in insulin-stimulated muscle ATP production could merely reflect the lower rates of muscle glucose uptake and glycogen synthesis, rather than cause it. If this is correct, muscle ATP turnover rates in type 2 diabetes could be increased if glycogen synthesis rates were normalized by the mass-action effect of hyperglycemia. Isoglycemic- and hyperglycemic-hyperinsulinemic clamps were performed on type 2 diabetic subjects and matched controls, with muscle ATP turnover and glycogen synthesis rates measured using 31P- and 13C-magnetic resonance spectroscopy, respectively. In diabetic subjects, hyperglycemia increased muscle glycogen synthesis rates to the level observed in controls at isoglycemia [from 19 ± 9 to 41 ± 12 μmol·l−1·min−1 ( P = 0.012) vs. 40 ± 7 μmol·l−1·min−1 in controls]. This was accompanied by a modest increase in muscle ATP turnover rates (7.1 ± 0.5 vs. 8.6 ± 0.7 μmol·l−1·min−1, P = 0.04). In controls, hyperglycemia brought about a 2.5-fold increase in glycogen synthesis rates (100 ± 24 vs. 40 ± 7 μmol·l−1·min−1, P = 0.028) and a 23% increase in ATP turnover rates (8.1 ± 0.9 vs. 10.0 ± 0.9 μmol·l−1·min−1, P = 0.025) from basal state. Muscle ATP turnover rates correlated positively with glycogen synthesis rates ( rs = 0.46, P = 0.005). Changing the rate of muscle glucose metabolism in type 2 diabetic subjects alters demand for ATP synthesis at rest. In type 2 diabetes, skeletal muscle ATP turnover rates reflect the rate of glucose uptake and glycogen synthesis, rather than any primary mitochondrial defect.


1993 ◽  
Vol 265 (5) ◽  
pp. E761-E769 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Rossetti ◽  
Y. T. Lee ◽  
J. Ruiz ◽  
S. C. Aldridge ◽  
H. Shamoon ◽  
...  

We measured the net rates of skeletal muscle glycogen synthesis and glycolysis (conversion of [3-3H]glucose to 3H2O) in healthy overnight-fasted volunteers. Two studies were performed. In study 1, seven subjects participated in two paired infusions under basal conditions of either [2-3H]glucose (H2) or [3-3H]glucose (H3). Total glucose uptake (Rd) and rates of whole body 3H2O formation (3H2O Ra) were measured. With H2, Rd and 3H2O Ra were similar. With H3, 3H2O Ra, equal to glycolysis, was 65% of Rd. In study 2, six different subjects underwent a 3-h, 40 mU.m-2 x min-1 euglycemic insulin clamp. [6,6-2H2]glucose was infused throughout and H3 was infused during the last hour of the study. Open muscle biopsies were obtained at 150 and 180 min. Glycogen synthesis was assessed by three independent means: 1) direct measurement, as 3H disintegrations per minute in isolated muscle glycogen per plasma H3 specific activity; 2) extrapolation from the activity of glycogen synthase assayed in the presence of the concentrations of glucose 6-phosphate and UDP-glucose measured in the biopsy; and 3) the difference between Rd and glycolysis. Despite a wide range in Rd [24.5-58.8 mumol.kg fat-free mass (FFM)-1 x min-1] and glycolysis (14.2-26.1), the three methods yielded similar results of 20.0 +/- 3.9, 22.5 +/- 3.7, and 20.6 +/- 3.7 mumol.kg FFM-1 x min-1 and correlated highly with each other (r2 = 0.92-0.96). Our results (study 1) indicate that the rate of plasma tritiated water formation reflects the intracellular detritiation of tritiated glucose. Under hyperinsulinemic conditions (study 2) the net rate of muscle glycogen synthesis can be accurately estimated from the glycogen synthase activity and from the difference between total glucose uptake and glycolysis. Thus, at high physiological plasma insulin concentrations resulting in submaximal stimulation of muscle glycogen synthesis, the latter can be accurately measured in humans.


1998 ◽  
Vol 275 (2) ◽  
pp. E338-E344 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joong-Yeol Park ◽  
Chul-Hee Kim ◽  
Sung K. Hong ◽  
Kyo I. Suh ◽  
Ki-Up Lee

To examine effects of free fatty acids (FFA) on insulin-stimulated glucose fluxes, euglycemic hyperinsulinemic (86 pmol ⋅ kg−1 ⋅ min−1) clamps were performed for 5 h in conscious rats with ( n = 8) or without ( n = 8) lipid-heparin infusion. Glucose infusion rate required to maintain euglycemia was not different between the two groups during the first 2 h of clamps but became significantly lower with lipid-heparin infusion in the 3rd h and thereafter. To investigate changes in intracellular glucose metabolism during lipid-heparin infusion, additional clamps ( n = 8 each) were performed for 1, 2, 3, or 5 h with an infusion of [3-3H]glucose. Insulin-stimulated whole body glucose utilization (Rd), glycolysis, and glycogen synthesis were estimated on the basis of tracer concentrations in plasma during the final 40 min of each clamp. Similar to changes in glucose infusion rate, Rd was not different between the two groups in the 1st and 2nd h but was significantly lower with lipid-heparin infusion in the 3rd h and thereafter. Whole body glycolysis was significantly lower with lipid-heparin infusion in all time periods, i.e., 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 5th h of clamps. In contrast, whole body glycogen synthesis was higher with lipid-heparin infusion in the 1st and 2nd h but lower in the 5th h. Similarly, accumulation of [3H]glycogen radioactivity in muscle glycogen was significantly higher with lipid-heparin during the 1st and 2nd h but lower during the 3rd and 5th h. Glucose 6-phosphate (G-6- P) concentrations in gastrocnemius muscles were significantly higher with lipid-heparin infusion throughout the clamps. Muscle glycogen synthase (GS) activity was not altered with lipid-heparin infusion at 1, 2, and 3 h but was significantly lower at 5 h. Thus increased availability of FFA significantly reduced whole body glycolysis, but compensatory increase in skeletal muscle glycogen synthesis in association with accumulation of G-6- P masked this effect, and Rd was not affected in the early phase (within 2 h) of lipid-heparin infusion. Rd was reduced in the later phase (>2 h) of lipid-heparin infusion, when glycogen synthesis was reduced in association with reduced skeletal muscle GS activity.


1995 ◽  
Vol 269 (2) ◽  
pp. E309-E315 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Varnier ◽  
G. P. Leese ◽  
J. Thompson ◽  
M. J. Rennie

To determine whether glutamine can stimulate human muscle glycogen synthesis, we studied in groups of six subjects the effect after exercise of infusion of glutamine, alanine+glycine, or saline. The subjects cycled for 90 min at 70-140% maximal oxygen consumption to deplete muscle glycogen; then primed constant infusions of glutamine (30 mg/kg; 50 mg.kg-1.h-1) or an isonitrogenous, isoenergetic mixture of alanine+glycine or NaCl (0.9%) were administered. Muscle glutamine remained constant during saline infusion, decreased 18% during alanine+glycine infusion (P < 0.001), but rose 16% during glutamine infusion (P < 0.001). By 2 h after exercise, muscle glycogen concentration had increased more in the glutamine-infused group than in the saline or alanine+glycine controls (+2.8 +/- 0.6, +0.8 +/- 0.4, and +0.9 +/- 0.4 mumol/g wet wt, respectively, P < 0.05, glutamine vs. saline or alanine+glycine). Labeling of glycogen by tracer [U-13C]glucose was similar in glutamine and saline groups, suggesting no effect of glutamine on the fractional rate of blood glucose incorporation into glycogen. The results suggest that, after exercise, increased availability of glutamine promotes muscle glycogen accumulation by mechanisms possibly including diversion of glutamine carbon to glycogen.


1992 ◽  
Vol 262 (4) ◽  
pp. E427-E433 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Coderre ◽  
A. K. Srivastava ◽  
J. L. Chiasson

The effects of hypercorticism on the regulation of glycogen metabolism by insulin in skeletal muscles was examined by using the hindlimb perfusion technique. Rats were injected daily with either saline or dexamethasone (0.4 mg.kg-1.day-1) for 14 days and were studied in the fed or fasted (24 h) state under saline or insulin (1 mU/ml) treatment. In fed controls, insulin resulted in glycogen synthase activation and in enhanced glycogen synthesis. In dexamethasone-treated animals, basal muscle glycogen concentration remained normal, but glycogen synthase activity ratio was decreased in white and red gastrocnemius and plantaris muscles. Furthermore, insulin failed to activate glycogen synthase and glycogen synthesis. In the controls, fasting was associated with decreased glycogen concentrations and with increased glycogen synthase activity ratio in all four groups of muscles (P less than 0.01). Dexamethasone treatment, however, completely abolished the decrease in muscle glycogen content as well as the augmented glycogen synthase activity ratio associated with fasting. Insulin infusion stimulated glycogen synthesis in fasted controls but not in dexamethasone-treated rats. These data therefore indicate that dexamethasone treatment inhibits the stimulatory effect of insulin on glycogen synthase activity and on glycogen synthesis. Furthermore, hypercorticism suppresses the decrease in muscle glycogen content associated with fasting.


1994 ◽  
Vol 77 (3) ◽  
pp. 1565-1568 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. McConell ◽  
M. McCoy ◽  
J. Proietto ◽  
M. Hargreaves

The present study examined the relationship between total skeletal muscle GLUT-4 protein level and glucose uptake during exercise. Eight active non-endurance-trained men cycled at 72 +/- 1% peak pulmonary oxygen consumption for 40 min, with rates of glucose appearance and disappearance (Rd) determined by utilizing a primed continuous infusion of [3–3H]glucose commencing 2 h before exercise. Muscle glycogen content and utilization, citrate synthase activity, and total GLUT-4 protein were measured on muscle biopsy samples obtained from the vastus lateralis. A direct relationship existed between preexercise muscle glycogen content and glycogen utilization during exercise (r = 0.76, P < 0.05). Citrate synthase activity and glucose Rd at the end of exercise averaged 21.9 +/- 3.0 mumol.min-1.g-1 and 27.3 +/- 2.5 mumol.kg-1.min-1, respectively. There was a direct correlation between citrate synthase activity and GLUT-4 protein (r = 0.78, P < 0.05); however, at the end of exercise, glucose Rd was inversely related to both GLUT-4 (r = -0.89, P < 0.01) and citrate synthase activity (r = -0.72, P < 0.05). Plasma insulin, which decreased during exercise, was not related to glucose Rd. In conclusion, glucose uptake during 40 min of exercise at 72% peak pulmonary oxygen consumption was inversely related to the total muscle GLUT-4 protein level. This suggests that factors other than the total GLUT-4 protein level are important in the regulation of glucose uptake during exercise.


1993 ◽  
Vol 265 (2) ◽  
pp. E224-E229 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Taylor ◽  
T. B. Price ◽  
L. D. Katz ◽  
R. G. Shulman ◽  
G. I. Shulman

Postprandial storage of carbohydrate as glycogen in muscle was quantitated in normal subjects (n = 8) by natural abundance 13C-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy with proton decoupling in a 4.7-tesla magnet. After an overnight fast three basal measurements of gastrocnemius muscle glycogen were made and a mixed meal was given. Muscle glycogen concentration rose from 83.3 +/- 5.2 to a maximum of 100.2 +/- 6.7 mmol/l muscle at 4.9 h (P < 0.01) and fell thereafter to 90.6 +/- 5.9 mmol/l muscle at 7 h postprandially (P < 0.006). The meal brought about an increase in plasma glucose from 5.4 +/- 0.2 to 7.3 +/- 0.4 mmol/l at 30 min but this was followed by a rapid fall to 6.2 +/- 0.4 mmol/l at 75 min. Plasma insulin rose from 62.4 +/- 11.4 to 900 +/- 216 pmol/l at 30 min and declined steadily thereafter. It was calculated from total muscle mass measurements and estimation of carbohydrate absorption rates that at peak muscle glycogen concentrations between 26 and 35% of the absorbed carbohydrate was stored as muscle glycogen. These data quantitate the role of skeletal muscle glycogen synthesis in postprandial carbohydrate storage and demonstrate that this tissue acts as a dynamic buffer to maintain glucose homeostasis during postprandial substrate storage.


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