EFFECTS OF FEEDING ACARBOSE ON MUSCLE GLUCOSE-TRANSPORT AND GLUT4 PROTEIN IN LEAN AND OBESE-DIABETIC (ZDF GMI-FA) RATS/

The Zucker diabetic fatty rat (ZDF/Gmi-fa), a model for noninsulin-dep endent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM), was used to evaluate the action of d ietary acarbose (20 week, 40 mg/100 g diet) in improving hyperglycemia . Muscle glucose uptake and glucose transport were measured during hin dlimb perfusion. GLUT4 protein was also measured in the perfused muscl e. Insulin resistance was not observed in skeletal muscle from diabeti c animals compared with lean controls as concluded from equivalent hem icorpus glucose uptake and muscle glucose transport rates. Three fold increases in both GLUT4 protein and glucose transport were observed in acarbose-fed lean rats compared with lean controls. Acarbose feeding significantly decreased hyperglycemia in diabetic rats. This improveme nt seems not to be the result of an increase in insulin-stimulated glu cose transport in muscle as insulin sensitivity and responsiveness wer e unchanged. (C) Elsevier Science Inc. 1997.