Glucose is a basic nutrient in most of the creatures; its transport through biological membranes is an absolute requirement of life. This role is fulfilled by glucose transporters, mediating the transport of glucose by facilitated diffusion or by secondary active transport. GLUT (glucose transporter) or SLC2A (Solute carrier 2A) families represent the main glucose transporters in mammalian cells, originally described as plasma membrane transporters. Glucose transport through intracellular membranes has not been elucidated yet; however, glucose is formed in the lumen of various organelles. The glucose-6-phosphatase system catalyzing the last common step of gluconeogenesis and glycogenolysis generates glucose within the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum. Posttranslational processing of the oligosaccharide moiety of glycoproteins also results in intraluminal glucose formation in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and Golgi. Autophagic degradation of polysaccharides, glycoproteins, and glycolipids leads to glucose accumulation in lysosomes. Despite the obvious necessity, the mechanism of glucose transport and the molecular nature of mediating proteins in the endomembranes have been hardly elucidated for the last few years. However, recent studies revealed the intracellular localization and functional features of some glucose transporters; the aim of the present paper was to summarize the collected knowledge.

The redox state of the intraluminal pyridine nucleotide pool was investigated in rat liver microsomal vesicles. The vesicles showed cortisone reductase activity in the absence of added reductants, which was dependent on the integrity of the membrane. The intraluminal pyridine nucleotide pool could be oxidized by the addition of cortisone or metyrapone but not of glutathione. On the other hand, intraluminal pyridine nucleotides were slightly reduced by cortisol or glucose 6-phosphate, although glutathione was completely ineffective. Redox state of microsomal protein thiols/disulfides was not altered either by manipulations affecting the redox state of pyridine nucleotides or by the addition of NAD(P)⁺ or NAD(P)H. The uncoupling of the thiol/disulfide and NAD(P)⁺/NAD(P)H redox couples was not because of their subcompartmentation, because enzymes responsible for the intraluminal oxidoreduction of pyridine nucleotides were distributed equally in smooth and rough microsomal subfractions. Instead, the phenomenon can be explained by the negligible representation of glutathione reductase in the endoplasmic reticulum lumen. The results demonstrated the separate existence of two redox systems in the endoplasmic reticulum lumen, which explains the contemporary functioning of oxidative folding and of powerful reductive reactions.

In Jurkat and human peripheral blood T-lymphocytes, 1-oleoyl-2-acetyl-sn-glycerol (OAG), a membrane-permeant analogue of diacylglycerol, activated the influx of Ca²⁺, Ba²⁺ and Sr²⁺. OAG also caused plasma-membrane depolarization in Ca²⁺-free media that was recovered by the addition of bivalent cation, indicating the activation of Na⁺ influx. OAG-induced cation influx was (i) mimicked by the natural dacylglycerol 1-stearoyl-2-arachidonyl-sn-glycerol, (ii) not blocked by inhibiting protein kinase C or in the absence of phopholipase C activity and (iii) blocked by La³⁺ and Gd³⁺. Differently from OAG, both thapsigargin and phytohaemagglutinin activated a potent influx of Ca²⁺, but little influx of Ba²⁺ and Sr²⁺. Moreover, the influx of Ca²⁺ activated by thapsigargin and that activated by OAG were additive. Furthermore, several drugs (i.e. econazole, SKF96365, carbonyl cyanide p-trifluoromethoxyphenylhydrazone, 2-aminoethoxy diphenylborate and calyculin-A), while inhibiting the influx of Ca²⁺ induced by both thapsigargin and phytohaemagglutinin, did not affect OAG-stimulated cation influx. Transient receptor potential (TRP) 3 and TRP6 proteins have been shown previously to be activated by diacylglycerol when expressed heterologously in animal cells [Hofmann, Obukhov, Schaefer, Harteneck, Gudermann and Schultz (1999) Nature (London) 397, 259–263]. In both Jurkat and peripheral blood T-lymphocytes, mRNA encoding TRP proteins 1, 3, 4 and 6 was detected by reverse transcriptase PCR, and the TRP6 protein was detected by Western blotting in a purified plasma-membrane fraction. We conclude that T-cells express a diacylglycerol-activated cation channel, unrelated to the channel involved in capacitative Ca²⁺ entry, and associated with the expression of TRP6 protein.

Hexose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (H6PD) is a luminal enzyme of the endoplasmic reticulum that is distinguished from cytosolic glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase by several features. H6PD converts glucose-6-phosphate and NADP⁺to 6-phosphogluconate and NADPH, thereby catalyzing the first two reactions of the pentose-phosphate pathway. Because the endoplasmic reticulum has a separate pyridine nucleotide pool, H6PD provides NADPH for luminal reductases. One of these enzymes, 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 responsible for prereceptorial activation of glucocorticoids, has been the focus of much attention as a probable factor in the pathomechanism of several human diseases including insulin resistance and the metabolic syndrome. This review summarizes recent advances related to the functions of H6PD.

The modern Western society lifestyle is characterized by a hyperenergetic, high sugar containing food intake. Sugar intake increased dramatically during the last few decades, due to the excessive consumption of high-sugar drinks and high-fructose corn syrup. Current evidence suggests that high fructose intake when combined with overeating and adiposity promotes adverse metabolic health effects including dyslipidemia, insulin resistance, type II diabetes, and inflammation. Similarly, elevated glucocorticoid levels, especially the enhanced generation of active glucocorticoids in the adipose tissue due to increased 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 1 (11β-HSD1) activity, have been associated with metabolic diseases. Moreover, recent evidence suggests that fructose stimulates the 11β-HSD1-mediated glucocorticoid activation by enhancing the availability of its cofactor NADPH. In adipocytes, fructose was found to stimulate 11β-HSD1 expression and activity, thereby promoting the adipogenic effects of glucocorticoids. This article aims to highlight the interconnections between overwhelmed fructose metabolism, intracellular glucocorticoid activation in adipose tissue, and their metabolic effects on the progression of the metabolic syndrome.