D. Jaquet et al., Impaired regulation of glucose transporter 4 gene expression in insulin resistance associated with in utero undernutrition, J CLIN END, 86(7), 2001, pp. 3266-3271
The aim of this study was to investigate whether insulin resistance-associa
ted in utero undernutrition was related to changes in insulin action on gen
e expression of molecules involved in the insulin signaling pathway and per
ipheral glucose metabolism in muscle and adipose tissue, Thirteen insulin-r
esistant subjects born with intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) were mat
ched for age, gender, and body mass index to 13 controls. Gene expression o
f insulin receptor, insulin receptor substrate-1, p85 alpha phosphatidylino
sitol S-kinase, glucose transporter-4 (GLUT4), hexokinase Il, and glycogen
synthase was studied in skeletal muscle at baseline and after a 3-h euglyce
mic insulin stimulation. Target messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) levels we
re quantified using the RT-competitive PCR method. Insulin-stimulated gluco
se uptake was significantly lower in IUGR-born subjects than in,controls (3
6.9 +/- 12, 7 vs. 53.9 +/- 12.7 mu mol/kg min; P = 0.007), affecting both t
he glucose oxidation rate and the nonoxidative glucose disposal rate. At ba
seline, the expression of the six genes in muscle did not significantly dif
fer between the two groups. The insulin-induced changes over baseline were
comparable in both groups for all mRNAs, except GLUT4. In contrast to what
observed in the control group (mean increment, 49 +/- 23%; P = 0.0009), GLU
T4 expression was not stimulated by insulin in the IUGR group (8 +/- 8%; P
= 0.42). Moreover, the magnitude of the defect in GLUT4 mRNA regulation by
insulin was correlated to the degree of insulin resistance (r = 0.73; P = 0
.01). A similar lack of significant GLUM mRNA. stimulation by insulin was o
bserved in the adipose tissue of IUGR-born subjects. In conclusion, insulin
resistance in IUGR-born subjects is,associated with an impaired regulation
of GLUT4 expression by insulin in muscle and adipose tissue. Our data prov
ide additional information about the mechanism of insulin resistance associ
ated with in utero undernutrition and strengthen the role of glucose transp
ort in the control of insulin sensitivity.