The increased availability of saturated lipids has been correlated with development of insulin resistance, although the basis for this impairment is not defined. This work examined the interaction of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids (FA) with insulin stimulation of glucose uptake and its relation to the FA incorporation into different lipid pools in cultured human muscle. It is shown that basal or insulin-stimulated 2-deoxyglucose uptake was unaltered in cells preincubated with oleate, whereas basal glucose uptake was increased and insulin response was impaired in palmitate- and stearate-loaded cells. Analysis of the incorporation of FA into different lipid pools showed that palmitate, stearate, and oleate were similarly incorporated into phospholipids (PL) and did not modify the FA profile. In contrast, differences were observed in the total incorporation of FA into triacylglycerides (TAG): unsaturated FA were readily diverted toward TAG, whereas saturated FA could accumulate as diacylglycerol (DAG). Treatment with palmitate increased the activity of membrane-associated protein kinase C, whereas oleate had no effect. Mixture of palmitate with oleate diverted the saturated FA toward TAG and abolished its effect on glucose uptake. In conclusion, our data indicate that saturated FA-promoted changes in basal glucose uptake and insulin response were not correlated to a modification of the FA profile in PL or TAG accumulation. In contrast, these changes were related to saturated FA being accumulated as DAG and activating protein kinase C. Therefore, our results suggest that accumulation of DAG may be a molecular link between an increased availability of saturated FA and the induction of insulin resistance.

We compared the intracellular distribution and regulatory role of fatty acid transporter protein (FATP1) and fatty acid translocase (FAT/CD36) on muscle cell fatty acid metabolism. With the use of adenoviruses, FATP1 and FAT genes were delivered to primary cultured human muscle cells. FATP1 and FAT moderately enhanced palmitate and oleate transport evenly at concentrations of 0.05, 0.5, and 1 mM. Long-term (16 h) consumption of palmitate and oleate from the media, and particularly incorporation into triacylglyceride (TAG), was stimulated equivalently by FATP1 and FAT at all fatty acid concentrations tested. In contrast, long-term CO₂production was reduced by FATP1 and FAT at all doses of palmitate and at the lower concentrations of oleate. Neither FATP1 nor FAT markedly altered the production of acid-soluble metabolic intermediates from palmitate or oleate. The intracellular localization of fusion constructs of FATP1 and FAT with enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) was examined. Independently of fatty acid treatment, FATPGFP was observed throughout the cytosol in a reticular pattern and concentrated in the perinuclear region, partly overlapping with the Golgi marker GM-130. FATGFP was found in the extracellular membrane and in cytosolic vesicles not coincident with GM-130. Neither FATP1 nor FAT proteins colocalized with lipid droplets in oleate-treated cells. We conclude that whereas FAT is localized on the extracellular membrane, FATP1 is active in the cytosol and imports fatty acids into myotubes. Overall, both FATP1 and FAT stimulated transport and consumption of palmitate and oleate, which they channeled away from complete oxidation and toward TAG synthesis.

Mdx mice show a milder phenotype than Duchenne patients despite bearing an analogous genetic defect. Our aim was to sort out genes, differentially expressed during the evolution of skeletal muscle mdx mouse disease, to elucidate the mechanisms by which these animals overcome the lack of dystrophin. Genome-wide microarray-based gene expression analysis was carried out at 3 wk and 1.5 and 3 mo of life. Candidate genes were selected by comparing: 1) mdx vs. controls at each point in time, and 2) mdx mice and 3) control mice among the three points in time. The first analysis showed a strong upregulation (96%) of inflammation-related genes and in >75% of genes related to cell adhesion, muscle structure/regeneration, and extracellular matrix remodeling during mdx disease evolution. Lgals3, Postn, Ctss, and Sln genes showed the strongest variations. The analysis performed among points in time demonstrated significant changes in Ecm1, Spon1, Thbs1, Csrp3, Myo10, Pde4b, and Adamts-5 exclusively during mdx mice lifespan. RT-PCR analysis of Postn, Sln, Ctss, Thbs1, Ecm1, and Adamts-5 expression from 3 wk to 9 mo, confirmed microarray data and demonstrated variations beyond 3 mo of age. A high-confidence functional network analysis demonstrated a strong relationship between them and showed two main subnetworks, having Dmd- Utrn- Myo10 and Adamts5- Thbs1- Spon1-Postn as principal nodes, which are functionally linked to Abca1, Actn4, Crebbp, Csrp3, Lama1, Lama3, Mical2, Mical3, Myf6, Pxn, and Sparc genes. Candidate genes may participate in the decline of muscle necrosis in mdx mice and could be considered potential therapeutic targets for Duchenne patients.

Excitability in muscle cells manifests itself as contractility and may be evoked by electrical stimulation. Here we describe an electrical stimulator device applicable to cells seeded on standard multiwell plates and demonstrate how it effectively stimulates synchronous contraction of skeletal muscle C2C12 cells without damaging them. The electrical stimulator of cultured cells (ESCC) consists of two connection cards and a network of platinum electrodes positioned in such way that each well in a row is uniformly stimulated. The ESCC may produce a range of outputs based on the stimulation parameters it receives from a commercial pulse generator and can be placed in a standard cell incubator, allowing for long-term stimulation as required for biochemical and molecular biological assays. We show that a 90-min stimulation of C2C12 myotubes at 50 V, 30 ms of pulse duration, and 3 Hz of frequency enhances glucose metabolism and glycogen mobilization while oppositely modulating the activity ratio of glycogen met...