title: Down-regulation of glucose transport by elevated extracellular glucose concentrations in cultured rat aortic smooth muscle cells does not normalize intracellular glucose concentrations.
abstract: Vascular disease is a prominent complication of diabetes mellitus, and hyperglycemia has been implicated as a risk factor for the development of these vascular complications. It has previously been suggested that down-regulation of glucose transport in response to hyperglycemia might serve a protective role by decreasing intracellular glucose concentrations. In the present study, regulation of glucose transport by extracellular glucose concentrations was investigated in cultured rat vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). Confluent quiescent VSMCs were exposed to medium containing either normal (5 mmol/L) or elevated (20 mmol/L) extracellular glucose concentrations for 24 hours. VSMCs exposed to elevated extracellular glucose concentrations (with or without serum) for 24 hours exhibited significant decreases in 2-deoxyglucose (2-DG) and D-glucose uptake rates. This decreased glucose transport was associated with a decrease in the Vmax of D-glucose transport without a change in KM. In the absence of serum, a decrease in the quantity of GLUT-1 transport protein at the plasma membrane was noted in cells exposed to elevated extracellular glucose concentrations for 24 hours. Intracellular glucose concentrations were estimated by using two methods, and the results revealed significantly higher intracellular glucose concentrations in the cells exposed to elevated extracellular glucose concentrations for 24 hours. These results suggest that down-regulation of glucose transport in cultured VSMCs exposed to elevated extracellular glucose concentrations for 24 hours does not occur to an extent that normalizes intracellular glucose concentrations. This prolonged increase in intracellular glucose concentrations and the potential associated toxicity may explain the increased incidence of vascular complications in patients with diabetes mellitus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Wishard Memorial Hospital, Indianapolis 46202-2879, USA.
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Howard
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001011:Aorta; D001692:Biological Transport / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003470:Culture Media; D003847:Deoxyglucose / Q000378:metabolism; D005947:Glucose / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007700:Kinetics; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D014316:Tritium
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media; D014316:Tritium; D003847:Deoxyglucose; D005947:Glucose