HETEROGENEITY OF GLUT-4 CONTENT IN ADIPOSE AND MUSCLE-TISSUE OF MODERATELY OBESE PATIENTS WITH OR WITHOUT NON-INSULIN-DEPENDENT DIABETES-MELLITUS

We quantified Glut 4 glucose transporter content, by immunoblot techni que, in adipose and muscle tissue of 6 lean controls (BMI=22+/-0.6, me an+/-SE) and 15 moderately obese patients either without (n=9, BMI=29/-0.6) or with NIDDM (n=6, BMI=30+/-1.9). In adipose tissue, the avera ge Glut 4 content, expressed as arbitrary densitometric units, was sig nificantly (p<0.01) reduced in obese (0.44+/-0.06) and NIDDM patients (0.48+/-0.09) as compared to lean controls (0.93+/-0.07) and negativel y correlated (r=0.66, p<0.001) to the body mass index of the studied s ubjects. In contrast, in muscle tissue no significant difference was o bserved between obese (0.54+/-0.05) or NIDDM patients (0.53+/-0.12), a nd lean controls (0.61+/-0.04). However, 3 out of the 15 obese patient s (20%) in addition to a reduced Glut 4! content in adipose tissue als o had a significantly reduced (lower than the mean content minus 2 SD of controls) Glut 4 content in muscle tissue. In conclusion: 1) In mos t obese patients (both with and without NIDDM) Glut 4 content is reduc ed in adipose but not in muscle tissue. 2) This reduction seems relate d to obesity rather than diabetes.