Effects of muscle activity and fiber composition on glucose transport and GLUT-4

We examined glucose uptake and GLUT-4 in rat muscles soleus (Sol), plantaris (PL), extensor digitorum longus (EDL), tibialis anterior, and the red and white gastrocnemius (WG). In the normally innervated perfused rat hindlimb muscles the proportion of oxidative fibers was highly correlated with the muscle's insulin-stimulated 3-O-methyl-D-glucose (3-MG) uptake (R2 = 0.78) and GLUT-4 content (r = 0.94). Insulin-stimulated 3-MG uptake and GLUT-4 were also highly correlated (R2 = 0.996). In 3-day denervated muscles, insulin-stimulated 3-MG uptake was reduced in all six muscles (-41 to -14.6%, P 0.05). A very high correlation was observed between the decrements in GLUT-4 (%) and the decrements in 3-MG uptake (%; r = 0.99). The relatively greater loss in muscle activity (%) due to denervation in the Sol compared with the PL coincided with the reductions (%) in GLUT-4 and 3-MG uptake. These studies demonstrate that glucose uptake and GLUT-4 are regulated by insulin-independent means, namely the oxidative capacity of the muscle and the normal activity level of the muscle.