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INTRODUCTION |
A fundamental action of insulin is to control the plasma glucose
concentration by stimulating glucose transport into muscle and adipose
cells and inhibiting hepatic glucose output (1). Defects in glucose
transport result in insulin resistance, which is a major factor in the
development of type 2 diabetes (2, 3). The molecular basis for this
insulin resistance remains unknown. Insulin signaling defects have been
identified in insulin-resistant states, but their full impact on
glucose transport and metabolism in muscle is still unclear (4-6).
Insulin signaling involves a cascade of events initiated by insulin
binding to its cell surface receptor, followed by receptor autophosphorylation and activation of receptor tyrosine kinases, which
result in tyrosine phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrates (IRSs)1 (7, 8). Binding of
IRSs to the regulatory subunit of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)
results in activation of PI3K, which is necessary for insulin action on
glucose transport (9-13). The extent to which downstream effectors,
Akt/protein kinase B, and PKC
/
, mediate insulin action on
glucose transport is still controversial (14-20).
Three Akt isoforms have been cloned (21, 22). Insulin has differential
effects on Akt isoforms in a tissue-, isoform-, and species-specific
manner (23, 24). In obese rats, insulin-stimulated Akt1 activity was
decreased in muscle and adipose tissue but increased in liver, whereas
insulin-stimulated Akt2 activity was decreased in muscle and liver but
increased in adipose tissue (23). In insulin-resistant humans with
obesity with or without type 2 diabetes, the effect of insulin on the
activity of all Akt isoforms in muscle in vivo is normal
(25). However, at very high insulin levels in vitro, Akt
activity is diminished in muscle from lean type 2 diabetics (26).
Furthermore, in adipocytes from obese type 2 diabetics, Akt2
phosphorylation is impaired (27). Whether these impairments in Akt1 or
Akt2 activity are sufficient to play a role in insulin-resistant states
is unclear. Akt1 knockout mice do not have insulin resistance, although
their growth retardation or developmental effects could mask this (28,
29). Akt2 knockout mice have impaired insulin action on liver and
modest effects in muscle and adipocytes that could possibly be
secondary to the liver defect (29). Thus, the potential impact of
altered Akt activity in muscle and fat is not certain.
Studies suggest that activation of the atypical PKC isoforms
and
is required for insulin stimulation of glucose uptake and Glut4
translocation (18-20). Overexpression of a dominant negative mutant of
PKC
or PKC
abrogated insulin-stimulated glucose transport and
Glut4 translocation in adipose (18, 30) and muscle cells (19, 31).
Overexpression of constitutively activated PKC
in adipocytes (18) or
wild type PKC
in muscle in vivo (32) enhanced both basal
and insulin-stimulated glucose transport. In addition,
insulin-stimulated PKC
/
activity was impaired in the skeletal
muscle and adipose tissue of diabetic rats (33, 34), in the muscle of
obese type 2 diabetic humans (35), and in myotubes of obese humans
(36). It is therefore possible that PKC
/
could play an important
role in insulin resistance in skeletal muscle and adipose tissue.
Glucose transport is the rate-controlling step for insulin-stimulated
muscle glycogen synthesis under normal conditions and in type 2 diabetes (37, 38). Insulin stimulates glycogen synthase by both
activating protein phosphatase-1 (PP-1) and inhibiting glycogen
synthase kinase 3 (GSK-3) (39). Two isoforms of GSK-3 have been
identified: GSK-3
and GSK-3
(40). GSK-3 is a serine/threonine kinase that inhibits glycogen synthase activity by phosphorylating glycogen synthase (39). Insulin inactivates GSK-3 in skeletal muscle of
rats and humans (41-43), which leads to activation of glycogen
synthase and therefore increased glycogen synthesis (39). The upstream
signaling pathways necessary for insulin activation of glycogen
synthase include PI3K (44, 45). Activation of PI3K by insulin is
impaired in the muscle of humans with type 2 diabetes (25), and both
basal and insulin-stimulated glycogen synthase activity are reduced
(25), but the important intermediary pathways are still unknown.
Plasma fatty acids are often elevated with obesity and type 2 diabetes
(3, 46) and most likely contribute to the insulin resistance in these
states. We previously demonstrated that fatty acid infusion decreases
whole body glucose uptake and glycogen synthesis and that this is
associated with a defect in insulin-stimulated PI3K activity associated
with IRS-1 in muscle (47, 48). In this study we sought to determine the
mechanism(s) for the fatty acid-induced impairment in insulin action by
measuring key steps downstream of PI3K leading to GSK-3 inhibition in
skeletal muscle. We found differential regulation of Akt isoforms and
discordance between insulin action on GSK-3, PP-1, and glycogen
synthase. In addition, PKC
/
activation is impaired in this
insulin-resistant state.
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EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURES |
Animals--
All of the animal studies were conducted in
accordance with the principles and procedures outlined in the National
Institutes of Health Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals.
Male Sprague-Dawley rats (Charles River, Wilmington, MA) weighing
between 250 and 300 g were housed in environmentally controlled
conditions with 12-h light-dark cycles and fed standard rat food. The
rats were catheterized in the right jugular vein and carotid artery, and the catheters were externalized through an incision in the skin
flap behind the head. After surgery, the rats recuperated until they
reached preoperative weight (~5-7 days). All of the rats were fasted
15-18 h before each infusion study.
Protocols--
Three groups of rats were studied using a 5-h
preinfusion protocol of saline, lipid (Liposyn II, Abbot Laboratories,
North Chicago, IL) combined with heparin (continuous infusion 0.0975 IU/min), or glycerol (1:3 v/v) followed by a 30-min hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp. Heparin activates lipoprotein lipase that catalyzes the breakdown of lipoproteins to fatty acids. Lipid/heparin or glycerol
infusion was continued during the 30-min insulin clamp. Hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamps (10 milliunits/kg/min) were performed maintaining glucose concentration at 5.5 mM using
a variable 20% glucose infusion (47). Humulin regular insulin (Eli
Lilly, Indianapolis, IN) was infused during the clamps. The control
rats were infused only with saline for 5.5 h. After clamping, the
gastrocnemius muscle was rapidly removed, frozen in liquid nitrogen,
and stored at
80 °C until analysis. All of the studies were
approved by the Yale Animal Use and Care Committee.
Preparation of Muscle Lysates--
50 mg of muscle was
homogenized using a polytron at half-maximum speed for 1 min on ice in
500 µl of buffer A (20 mM Tris, pH 7.5, 5 mM
EDTA, 10 mM Na4P2O7,
100 mM NaF, 2 mM
Na3VO4) containing 1% Nonidet P-40, 1 mM phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride, 10 µg/ml aprotinin, and
10 µg/ml leupeptin. For GSK-3 activity, we changed 100 mM
NaF to 1 mM NaF in buffer A. Tissue lysates were
solubilized by continuous stirring for 1 h at 4 °C and
centrifuged for 10 min at 14,000 × g. The supernatants
were stored at
80 °C until analysis.
Determination of PI3K Activity--
Muscle lysates (500 µg of
protein) were subjected to immunoprecipitation with 5 µl of a
polyclonal IRS-1 antibody or IRS-2 antibody (1:100 dilution; gift from
Dr. Morris White, Joslin Diabetes Center) or a monoclonal
antiphosphotyrosine (1:50 dilution, Santa Cruz) coupled to protein
A-Sepharose (Sigma) or protein G-Sepharose beads. The immune complex
was washed, and the PI3K activity was determined as described (23).
Determination of Akt Activity--
Muscle lysates (500 µg of
protein) were subjected to immunoprecipitation for 4 h at 4 °C
with 5 µl of a polyclonal Akt1- (1:100 dilution; gift from T. Franke,
Columbia University) (23), Akt2- (1:100 dilution; gift from T. Franke,
Columbia University) (23), or Akt3-specific antibodies (1:100 dilution,
Upstate Biotechnology, Lake Placid, NY), coupled to protein A- or
protein G-Sepharose beads (Amersham Biosciences). The immune pellets
were washed, and the Akt activity was determined as described
previously (23).
Determination of PKC
/
Activity--
Muscle lysates
(500 µg of protein) were subjected to immunoprecipitation for 4 h at 4 °C with 2 µg of a polyclonal PKC
antibody (Santa Cruz
Biotechnology, Santa Cruz, LA) that recognizes both PKC
and PKC
,
coupled to protein A-Sepharose beads (Amersham Biosciences). The immune
pellets were washed, and the PKC
/
activity was determined as
described previously (33).
Determination of GSK-3 Activity--
Muscle lysates (500 µg of
protein) were subjected to immunoprecipitation for 4 h at 4 °C
with either GSK-3
(1:100 dilution; Santa Cruz) or GSK-3
-specific
antibody (1:100 dilution; gift from Dr. Hagit Eldar-Finkelman, Tel-Aviv
University, Israel), coupled to protein A-Sepharose or protein
G-Sepharose beads. The immune complexes were washed twice with 50 mM Tris, pH 7.4, 500 mM LiCl, and 1 mM dithiothreitol and twice with 50 mM Tris, pH 7.4. The kinase assay was performed on the immunoprecipitates in
reaction mixtures including 50 mM Tris, 10 mM
MgCl2, 0.5 mg/ml bovine serum albumin, 100 µM
ATP (0.25 mCi/ml), and 100 µM phosphoglycogen synthase-1
peptide substrate, and incubation was carried out for 20 min at
30 °C. The reaction mixtures were spotted on p81 phosphocellulose paper, washed with 75 mM phosphoric acid, and counted for
radioactivity (49).
Determination of Glycogen Synthase Activity--
20 mg of muscle
were homogenized using a polytron at half-maximum speed for 1 min on
ice in 0.5 ml of extraction buffer (50 mM Hepes, 10 mM EDTA, 100 mM NaF, 5 mM
dithiothreitol, 1 µM leupeptin, 1 µM
pepstatin, and 200 µM phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride, pH
7.5). Homogenates were used to measure glycogen synthase activity as described previously (50). The glycogen synthase activity was determined at a physiologic concentration of substrate (0.3 mM UDP-glucose), calculated as nanomoles of UDP-glucose
incorporated into glycogen/min/milligram of total protein and expressed
as the ratio of activity assayed at 0 mM
glucose-6-phosphate divided by the activity at 7.2 mM
glucose-6-phosphate. This is an indicator of the change in the
phosphorylation state of glycogen synthase in response to insulin
(51).
Determination of PP-1 Activity--
20 mg of muscle were
homogenized using a polytron at half-maximum speed for 1 min on ice in
0.5 ml of PP-1 homogenization buffer (50 mM Tris, 2 mM EDTA, 0.2%
-mecaptoethanol, 2 mg/ml glycogen, pH
7.4) containing 0.1 mM phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride, 1 mM benzamidine, and 10 mg/ml aprotinin. Muscle homogenates
(10 µg) were preincubated with PP-1 homogenization buffer containing 4.5 nM okadaic acid for 2 min at 37 °C. The reaction was
initiated by adding 15 µg of 32P-labeled phosphorylase
a in the presence of 3 nM okadaic acid and 5 mM caffeine. The phosphate release was determined as
described previously (52).
Determination of MAPK Activity--
The muscle lysates (500 µg
of protein) were subjected to immunoprecipitation for 4 h at
4 °C with 1 µl of a MAPK (Erk1 and Erk2) antibody (1:500 dilution;
gift from Dr. John Blenis, Harvard Medical School) coupled to protein
A-Sepharose beads. The immune complexes were washed three times with
Buffer A and twice with 20 mM Tris, pH 7.4, 20 mM MgCl2, 1 mM dithiothreitol, and
1 mM EGTA. The kinase assay was performed on the
immunoprecipitates in reaction mixtures including 20 mM
Tris, 10 mM MgCl2, 1 mM
dithiothreitol, 1 mM EGTA, 10 µM protein
kinase inhibitor, 10 mM ATP (0.25 mCi/ml), and 10 mg/ml
myelin basic protein substrate, and incubation was carried out for 20 min at 30 °C. The reaction mixtures were spotted, washed, and
counted as described for GSK-3 activity.
Determination of p70S6 Kinase Mobility Shift and Amounts of
Signaling Proteins--
10-100 µg of tissue lysates protein/lane
were resolved by SDS-PAGE (8 and 10% gel) and transferred to
nitrocellulose membranes (Schleicher & Schuell). The membranes were
blocked with 5% nonfat dry milk for 1 h at room temperature and
incubated with the following antibodies: Akt1- or Akt2-specific
polyclonal antibody (gift from T. Franke, Columbia University, or Akt1
antibody from Santa Cruz and Akt2 antibody from Upstate Biotechnology,
which gave similar results to our antibodies), a polyclonal antibody of
PKC
/
(Santa Cruz Biotechnology), a monoclonal antibody for GSK-3
(Upstate Biotechnology) that recognizes both GSK-3
and GSK-3
, a
polyclonal antibody against the p85
subunit (Upstate Biotechnology)
that recognizes all isoforms of the regulatory subunit of PI3K or
p110
subunit of PI3K (Santa Cruz Biotechnology), a polyclonal
anti-GLUT4 (gift from H. Haspel, Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, MI), a
polyclonal PP-1 antibody (Upstate Biotechnology), a polyclonal glycogen
synthase antibody (gift from J. Lawrence, University of
Virginia), or a polyclonal IRS-1 or IRS-2 antibody (gift from M. White,
Joslin Diabetes Center) in 1% nonfat dry milk overnight at 4 °C.
The membranes were washed, and the bands were visualized as described previously (23).
Statistical Analysis--
The data are presented as the
means ± S.E. Statistical analyses were performed using the Stat
View program (Abacus Concepts, Inc., Berkeley, CA). Statistical
significance was tested with the unpaired Student's t test.
 |
RESULTS |
PI3K Activity--
After 30 min of insulin stimulation,
IRS-1-associated PI3K activity in skeletal muscle of glycerol-infused
rats was stimulated 2.4-fold above basal levels in saline-infused rats
(Fig. 1A). In contrast, in
lipid-infused rats, IRS-1-associated PI3K activity did not respond to
insulin and was similar to that in saline control rats. Insulin also
stimulated IRS-2-associated PI3K activity 3.5-fold in muscle of
glycerol-infused rats but only 1.6-fold in lipid-infused rats (Fig.
1B). Because of the possibility that PI3K activity associated with other phosphoproteins could contribute to the effect of
insulin on glucose uptake, we also measured
antiphosphotyrosine-associated PI3K (Fig. 1C). Insulin
increased antiphosphotyrosine-associated PI3K activity 4.8-fold in
glycerol-infused rats but only 2.3-fold in lipid-infused rats.

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Fig. 1.
IRS-1-associated (A),
IRS-2-associated (B), and phosphotyrosine-associated
(C) PI3K activities in muscle of rats after
hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp following preinfusion with either
glycerol or intralipid for 5 h. The control rats were infused
only with saline for 5.5 h. PI3K activities were measured in
IRS-1, IRS-2, or phosphotyrosine immunoprecipitates and were
quantitated using a PhosphorImager. The results are the means ± S.E. for three rats for saline and for seven or eight rats for glycerol
or lipid infusion. *, p < 0.01 versus
glycerol.
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Akt Isoforms Activity and Protein Level--
Insulin-resistant
states are associated with differential effects on Akt1, Akt2, and Akt3
isoforms (23). Fig. 2 shows that insulin
stimulated Akt1 activity in skeletal muscle 3.9-fold in glycerol-infused rats and 2.3-fold in lipid-infused rats compared with
saline-infused control rats. The insulin-stimulated increment in Akt1
activity above the saline value is reduced 55% in lipid-infused rats
compared with glycerol-infused rats (p < 0.05) (Fig.
2A). Insulin also increased Akt2 activity 1.8-fold in
glycerol-infused rat and 2.3-fold in lipid-infused rats compared with
control rats (Fig. 2B). However, Akt3 activity did not
respond to insulin in either group (Fig. 2C). These results
suggest that fatty acid infusion selectively impaired Akt1 isoform
activity in skeletal muscle. Fig. 2D shows that the protein
levels of Akt1 and Akt2 in skeletal muscle were not different among
saline-infused, glycerol-infused, and lipid-infused rats.

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Fig. 2.
Akt1 (A), Akt2
(B), and Akt3 (C) activities and
protein levels (D) in muscle of rats after
hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp following preinfusion with either
glycerol or intralipid for 5 h. The control rats were infused
only with saline for 5.5 h. The muscle lysates (500 µg) were
subjected to immunoprecipitation with antibodies specific for Akt1,
Akt2, or Akt3. The immune pellets were assayed for kinase activity
using Crosstide as a substrate. D, proteins in muscle
lysates (100 µg) were separated by SDS/PAGE on 8% gels and
transferred to nitrocellulose membranes. Akt1 and Akt2 were visualized
by immunoblotting with specific Akt1 and Akt2 antibodies. The results
are the means ± S.E. for three rats for saline and for seven or
eight rats for glycerol or lipid infusion. *, p < 0.01 versus glycerol.
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PKC
/
Activity and Protein Level--
To determine whether
impaired activation of atypical PKC plays a role in fatty
acid-induced insulin resistance in rats, we measured the activity and
protein levels of PKC
/
in muscle. Fig
3 shows that insulin stimulated
PKC
/
activity in skeletal muscle 2.0-fold in glycerol-infused
rats and 1.35-fold in lipid-infused rats compared with saline-infused
rats (Fig. 3A). The increment in insulin-stimulated
PKC
/
activity over saline was reduced 65% in lipid-infused rats
compared with glycerol-infused rats (p < 0.05). Fig.
3B shows that the protein levels of PKC
/
in skeletal
muscle were not different among saline-infused, glycerol-infused, or
lipid-infused rats.

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Fig. 3.
PKC / activities
(A) and protein levels (B) in muscle
of rats after hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp following preinfusion
with either glycerol or intralipid for 5 h. The control rats
were infused only with saline for 5.5 h. The muscle lysates (500 µg) were subjected to immunoprecipitation with an antibody that
recognizes PKC or PKC . The immune pellets were assayed for kinase
activity using a PKC- pseudosubstrate as substrate. The results are
means ± S.E. for three rats for saline and for six or seven rats for
glycerol or lipid infusion. *, p < 0.05 versus
glycerol. B, proteins in muscle lysates (50 µg) were
separated by SDS/PAGE on 8% gels and transferred to nitrocellulose
membrane. PKC / was visualized by immunoblotting with a PKC /
antibody.
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|
GSK-3 Isoform Activity and Protein Levels--
To determine
whether the insulin resistance induced by lipid infusion involves an
impairment in the effect of insulin in inhibiting GSK-3 activity, we
measured the activity of the two known GSK-3 isoforms,
and
.
GSK-3
activity in skeletal muscle was reduced 30% in response to
insulin in glycerol- and lipid-infused rats (p < 0.05)
compared with saline-infused rats (Fig.
4A). In contrast, insulin
inhibited GSK-3
activity 63% in muscle of glycerol-infused rats
(p < 0.01 versus saline) and 68% in
lipid-infused rats (p < 0.001) compared with
non-insulin-infused control rats (Fig. 4B). The magnitude of
decrease in GSK-3
activity was greater than the decrease in GSK-3
activity, suggesting greater susceptibility of GSK-3
to insulin
regulation in rat skeletal muscle.

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Fig. 4.
GSK-3
(A) and GSK-3
activities (B) and protein levels
(C) in muscle of rats after hyperinsulinemic
euglycemic clamp following preinfusion with either glycerol or
intralipid for 5 h. The control rats were infused only with
saline for 5.5 h. The muscle lysates (500 µg) were subjected to
immunoprecipitation with antibodies specific for GSK-3 or GSK-3 .
The immune pellets were assayed for kinase activity using
phosphoglycogen synthase-1 as substrate. C, proteins in
muscle lysates (50 µg) were separated by SDS/PAGE on 8% gels and
transferred to nitrocellulose membrane. The GSK-3 isoforms were
visualized by immunoblotting with a GSK-3 antibody that recognizes
GSK-3 or GSK-3 . The results are the means ± S.E. for three
rats for saline and for seven or eight rats for glycerol or lipid
infusion. *, p < 0.05 versus saline. **,
p < 0.01 versus saline.
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|
Fig. 4C shows the protein levels of GSK-3
and GSK-3
in
skeletal muscle from the three study groups. We detected a 51-kDa band
for GSK-3
and a 46-kDa band for GSK-3
using an antibody that
recognizes both isoforms. The total amounts of GSK-3
and GSK-3
protein were unchanged by lipid infusion (Fig. 4C).
Glycogen Synthase Activity and Protein Level--
To determine the
effects of lipid infusion on glycogen synthase activity in rats, we
measured glycogen synthase activity in skeletal muscle after a 30-min
hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp following preinfusion with glycerol
or lipid for 5 h. The ratio of glycogen synthase I form (without
glucose-6-phosphate) over total activity (with glucose-6-phosphate)
increased 2.0-fold in glycerol-infused rats but only 1.4-fold in
lipid-infused rats compared with saline-infused rats (Fig.
5A). There is no significant difference in total glycogen synthase activity (with
glucose-6-phosphate) in either group (data not shown).

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Fig. 5.
Glycogen synthase activity
(A) and protein level (B) in muscle
of rats after hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp following preinfusion
with either glycerol or intralipid for 5 h. The control rats
were infused only with saline for 5.5 h. The glycogen synthase
activity was measured as described under "Materials and Methods."
A, the ratio of glycogen synthase activity represents the
activity measured in the absence divided by that in the presence of
glucose-6-phosphate. B, proteins in muscle lysates (5 µg)
were separated by SDS/PAGE on 8% gels and transferred to
nitrocellulose membranes. Glycogen synthase (GS) was
visualized by immunoblotting with a glycogen synthase antibody. The
results are the means ± S.E. for three rats for saline and for
seven or eight rats for glycerol or lipid infusion. *,
p < 0.05 versus glycerol.
|
|
Fig. 5B shows the protein levels of glycogen synthase in
skeletal muscle of saline-infused, glycerol-infused, or lipid-infused rats. There were no significant differences in the amount of glycogen synthase protein in muscle among the three groups (Fig.
5B).
PP-1 Activity and Protein Level--
To determine whether PP-1
activity is impaired in the skeletal muscle of lipid-induced insulin
resistance in rats, we measured the activity and protein levels of PP-1
in muscle. Fig 6A shows that
insulin stimulated PP-1 activity in skeletal muscle 40% in glycerol-infused rats and 47% in lipid-infused rats compared with saline-infused rats (p < 0.05). Fig. 6B
shows a representative blot indicating that the amount of PP-1 protein
was unaltered in muscle of saline-infused, glycerol-infused, or
lipid-infused rats.

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Fig. 6.
PP-1 activity (A) and
protein level (B) in muscle of rats after
hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp following preinfusion with either
glycerol or intralipid for 5 h. The control rats were infused
only with saline for 5.5 h. The PP-1 activity in muscle
homogenates (10 µg) was measured using 32P-labeled
phosphorylase a as substrate. B, proteins in
muscle lysates (50 µg) were separated by SDS/PAGE on 8% gels and
transferred to nitrocellulose membrane. PP-1 was visualized by
immunoblotting with a PP-1 antibody. The results are the means ± S.E. for three rats for saline and for six or seven rats for glycerol
or lipid infusion. *, p < 0.05 versus
saline.
|
|
MAPK Activity and p70S6 Kinase Gel Mobility Shift--
To
determine whether other downstream signaling steps are impaired by
lipid infusion, we measured MAPK activity and p70S6 kinase
phosphorylation in skeletal muscle using the same protocol of a 30-min
insulin clamp following preinfusion with glycerol or lipid for 5 h. With this protocol, MAPK activity was not activated by insulin in
the skeletal muscle of either glycerol-infused or lipid-infused rats
(Fig. 7A). We saw a similar
result in the phosphorylation of MAPK using a phospho-specific antibody
(not shown). We routinely find that more extended periods of fasting
are necessary to reduce basal MAPK activity in skeletal muscle of
saline-infused rats enough to detect an insulin effect.

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Fig. 7.
MAPK activity (A) and p70S6
kinase mobility shift (B) in muscle of rats after
hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp following preinfusion with either
glycerol or intralipid for 5 h. The control rats were infused
only with saline for 5.5 h. A, muscle lysates (500 µg) were subjected to immunoprecipitation with MAPK antibody. The
immune pellets were assayed for kinase activity using myelin basic
protein as substrate. The results are the means ± S.E. for
three rats for saline and for seven or eight rats for glycerol or
lipid. B, proteins in muscle lysates (50 µg) were
separated by SDS/PAGE on 8% gels and transferred to nitrocellulose
membranes. p70S6 kinase was visualized by immunoblotting with a p70S6
kinase antibody. This blot is representative of three blots on three to
eight rats/group.
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|
Fig. 7B shows the levels and insulin-stimulated
hyperphosphorylation of p70S6 kinase in skeletal muscle of
glycerol-infused and lipid-infused rats. In the basal state, we detect
a single ~66-kDa band for p70S6 kinase in muscle. After insulin
stimulation of rats for 30 min, p70S6 kinase shifts to a
hyperphosphorylated state in both glycerol-infused and lipid-infused
rats. There is no significant change in the phosphorylation of p70S6
kinase in muscle of lipid-infused rats compared with glycerol-infused
rats (Fig. 7B).
Signaling Protein levels--
The amount of the p85
, p55
,
and p50
regulatory subunit and p110
catalytic subunit of PI3K and
of IRS-1 and IRS-2 was unaltered in muscle of lipid-infused rats
compared with glycerol-infused rats (Fig.
8). Also, the total amount of Glut4
protein was not significantly altered in the skeletal muscle of
lipid-infused rats compared with glycerol-infused rats (Fig. 8).

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Fig. 8.
Signaling protein levels in muscle of rats
after hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp following preinfusion with
either glycerol or intralipid. The control rats were infused only
with saline for 5.5 h. The proteins in muscle lysates (40-100
µg) were separated by SDS/PAGE on 8 or 10% gels and transferred to
nitrocellulose membranes. p85, p55, p50, p110, IRS-1, IRS-2, and Glut4
were visualized by immunoblotting with specific antibodies. This blot
is representative of three blots on three to ten rats/group.
|
|
 |
DISCUSSION |
In insulin-resistant states such as obesity and type 2 diabetes,
plasma fatty acids are elevated (3, 46). Lipid infusion in rats and
humans results in reduced insulin-stimulated rates of muscle glycogen
synthesis, whole body glucose oxidation, and glucose uptake (53-56).
These changes are accompanied by a defect in insulin-stimulated PI3K
activity associated with IRS-1 in skeletal muscle (47, 48). In the
present study, we investigated the effects of lipid infusion on the
downstream mediators of PI3K, with particular focus on whether impaired
insulin action on Akt, PKC
/
, GSK-3 isoforms, or PP-1 contributes
to this insulin-resistant state. Here we show that 5 h of fatty
acid infusion specifically impairs insulin-stimulated Akt1 activity in
skeletal muscle, but insulin action on Akt2, GSK-3, and PP-1 is
unaltered. Akt1 in rat skeletal muscle is highly responsive to insulin
and the time course of its stimulation parallels that of inhibition of
GSK-3 activity (24). Combined with in vitro data showing
phosphorylation of GSK-3 by Akt1 (57), this makes it possible that Akt1
could be important for insulin action on glycogen synthesis. However, our study shows that Akt1 does not appear to be the major upstream regulator of GSK-3 activity in the insulin-resistant state induced by
lipid infusion or that other Akt isoforms can substitute when Akt1
activation is defective. Furthermore, lipid infusion leads to impaired
insulin-induced glycogen synthase activity but no defect in insulin
action on GSK-3 or PP-1, indicating there is dominant regulation of
glycogen synthase activity by non-GSK-3- and non-PP-1-mediated
pathway(s) (58, 59). Finally, this insulin-resistant state also
involves impaired insulin activation of PKC
/
activity in skeletal
muscle that could contribute to the metabolic defects.
There is increasing evidence that key steps in the insulin signaling
pathway, including the insulin receptor, IRSs, and PI3K, are candidates
for defects leading to insulin resistance in skeletal muscle of rodents
and humans (23, 25, 60-62). Activation of PI3K is necessary for
insulin-induced glucose transport and Glut4 translocation (9-13). In
addition to the defect in insulin-stimulated IRS-1-associated PI3K
activity in skeletal muscle of lipid-infused rats (47), we found that
insulin-stimulated PI3K activity associated with IRS-2 or
phosphotyrosine is also decreased by ~50%. Similar results have been
demonstrated in type 2 diabetic subjects as well as in obese
nondiabetic subjects (25, 63) and a number of genetic models of
diabetes and insulin resistance (23, 60, 61). In view of the evidence
that lipid-induced insulin resistance involves a defect of glucose
transport in skeletal muscle (37, 53), it is likely that the reduction
of insulin-stimulated PI3K activity leads to an impairment of Glut4
translocation that plays a major role in the decreased glucose disposal.
The inhibition of Akt1 activation with lipid infusion contrasts with
observations in insulin-resistant muscle from obese humans with type 2 diabetes (25) and glucosamine-infused rats, in which Akt activation was
normal (64). However, insulin-stimulated Akt activity is diminished in
some insulin-resistant states such as in nonobese type 2 diabetic
humans (26) and Goto-Kakizaki rats (65). The difference may be
due to differences in the metabolic disturbances, the degree of insulin
resistance, or the dose, duration, or route of insulin treatment in
these studies. It is not clear whether a defect in Akt1 activation
in vivo could contribute to the development of fatty
acid-induced insulin resistance. Mice with knockout of Akt1 are not
insulin-resistant (28, 29). However, these mice are growth retarded,
and developmental abnormalities or reduced fat mass could mask insulin
resistance in muscle.
Akt is required for the effect of insulin to inhibit GSK-3 in cell
culture (57). However, we find that insulin-induced inactivation of
GSK-3 isoforms is normal despite decreased activation of Akt1 in
skeletal muscle of lipid-infused rats. We see a similar discrepancy in
skeletal muscle of lactate-infused rats (66) and in Zucker fa/fa obese rats.2
Taken together, these data suggest that either maximal Akt1 activation is not required for maximal inhibition of GSK-3 or that Akt1 is not a
major upstream regulator of GSK-3 in this insulin-resistant state
in vivo. This raises the possibility of other Akt isoforms or other pathways downstream of PI3K playing a role in insulin action
on glycogen synthesis.
The atypical PKC isoforms, PKC
and
, are also downstream targets
of PI3K (see Introduction) (18-20). Here we show that
insulin-stimulated PKC
/
activation is impaired in skeletal muscle
of lipid-infused rats compared with glycerol-infused rats. Consistent
with our current results are data from several insulin-resistant models including Goto-Kakizaki diabetic rats (33), high fat fed rats (67), and obese Zucker rats.2 as well as obese nondiabetic
and obese diabetic humans (35), all of which have decreased activation
of PI3K and PKC
/
. This raises the possibility that defective
activation of atypical PKCs in muscle could contribute to the decreased
glucose uptake and metabolism in those states.
A recent study demonstrates that PKC
enhances Akt-mediated GSK-3
phosphorylation in skeletal muscle cells in vitro (68), indicating that both PKC
and Akt are required for the potent inhibition of GSK-3 activation. In our study, lipid infusion
compromises insulin-stimulated PKC
/
activity, but GSK-3
inhibition is normal. Because the impairment of insulin-stimulated
PKC
/
activity is partial, the remaining PKC
/
activity may
be sufficient to enable GSK-3 phosphorylation in vivo.
Because insulin action on Akt1, but not Akt2 or Akt3, is selectively
impaired in skeletal muscle of lipid-infused rats, other Akt isoforms
may also contribute to GSK-3 phosphorylation and inhibition in this model.
Another discrepancy revealed by the lipid-infused model is the effect
of insulin on GSK-3 and glycogen synthase activity. GSK-3 is thought to
be a major regulator of glycogen synthase activity. Inhibition of GSK-3
blocks the ability of insulin to inactivate GSK-3 and increases
glycogen synthase activity in cultured muscle cells (69, 70) and
adipocytes (71). Additionally, overexpression of GSK-3
in 293 cells
causes a reduction in basal glycogen synthase activity (72). However,
lipid infusion results in a reduction of glycogen synthase activity in
skeletal muscle despite the fact that insulin-stimulated GSK-3
activation is normal, suggesting that glycogen synthase activity can be
regulated independent of GSK-3 in vivo. Support for this
comes from studies showing that GSK-3 is not essential for glycogen
synthase activation by insulin in adipocytes (58), rat-1 fibroblasts
(58), and hepatocytes (59). Here we demonstrate that two other possible
pathways, MAPK and p70S6 kinase, are not involved in the modulation of
glycogen synthase in this insulin-resistant state.
Glycogen synthase has nine phosphorylation sites, which are located at
both NH2 and COOH termini (73). GSK-3 phosphorylates sites
4, 3c, 3b, and 3a (39), but sites 3a and 3b can also be phosphorylated by currently unidentified protein kinases or unknown factors (73, 74). These two sites are the most important for regulation
of glycogen synthase (73). It is therefore conceivable that lipid
infusion increases phosphorylation of sites 3a and 3b directly or
through unidentified protein kinases, leading to a decrease in glycogen
synthase activity. Alternatively, altered PP-1 activity could be
involved. However, our results demonstrate that PP-1 activation and
expression is normal in the lipid-induced insulin-resistant state.
In conclusion, the impaired insulin-stimulated glucose disposal in
skeletal muscle induced by lipid infusion is associated with a decrease
in insulin-stimulated PI3K activation. Several observations challenge
the recent linear concept of the insulin signaling cascade regulating
glycogen synthesis. For example, lipid infusion impairs insulin action
on Akt1 in skeletal muscle, but action on GSK-3 is
preserved. This may be due to the fact that other Akt isoforms can
regulate GSK-3 activity or that only submaximal activation of Akt1 is
required to fully inhibit GSK-3. Interestingly, Akt isoforms are
differentially affected in this insulin-resistant state. Despite a
marked impairment in insulin action on PI3K, Akt2 activation is normal,
suggesting possible alternative upstream pathways for Akt2 activation.
Furthermore, insulin action on glycogen synthase is impaired with no
defect in action on GSK-3 inhibition or PP-1 activation, also
suggesting alternative pathways. Lipid infusion is associated with an
impairment of PKC
/
activation by insulin in skeletal muscle that
could contribute to the development of insulin resistance. Thus, lipid infusion induces insulin resistance by impairing insulin signaling in a
manner that selectively affects specific downstream mediators of the
PI3K pathway. Understanding the molecular mechanisms for this
selectivity and the potential alternative pathways for regulating glucose metabolism could lead to new therapeutic targets for obesity and type 2 diabetes.