Cigarette smoke exposure severely reduces peripheral insulin sensitivity without changing GLUT4 expression in oxidative muscle of Wistar rats

Abstract

To evaluate the effect of exposure to cigarette smoke and running training on a treadmill on the expression of glucose transporter GLUT4 in oxidative soleus muscle of rats. Wistar rats were divided into: (C) control, (E) exercise control, (SS), sedentary smoker, and (ES) exercise smoker. Insulin Tolerance Test, Western blotting, and RT-PCR were performed for the evaluation of GLUT4 levels. The SS group presented lower insulin sensitivity with reduced GLUT4 protein in the plasma membrane (PM), no changes in the microsomal fraction, but increased mRNA content. Training reversed this condition. No intervention altered total GLUT4 content of the oxidative muscle. These results suggest that passive smoking stimulates GLUT4 transcription without changing total protein content, but impairs the ability of GLUT4 translocation to the PM. On the other hand, training seems to reduce the deleterious effects, even under the influence of cigarette smoking.