Evidence for the presence of glucose transporter 4 in the endometrium and its regulation in polycystic ovary syndrome patients.
Glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) seems to be involved in the mechanism of insulin resistance in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) patients (PCOSs) in both muscular and adipose tissue. The observation that insulin stimulates glucose oxidation in endometrial cells led us to investigate the presence of GLUT4 in this tissue and whether a defect of GLUT4 is present at the endometrial level in PCOSs. We also investigated whether body weight influences GLUT4 expression in this syndrome. GLUT4 mRNA content was examined by real-time quantitative RT-PCR and immunostaining reaction in the endometrial tissue of nine normal subjects, nine lean and eight obese hyperinsulinemic (h-INS), and eight lean and 10 obese normoinsulinemic (n-INS) PCOSs. GLUT4 mRNA and its positive immunostaining reaction were present in epithelial cell level in the endometrium of both normal and PCOS subjects. Significantly higher levels of GLUT4 were observed in normal and lean n-INS PCOSs in comparison with other groups. In both n-INS and h-INS obese PCOSs, GLUT4 was significantly lower than in lean subjects. However, obese n-INS and lean h-INS PCOSs showed a similar low GLUT4 expression, whereas obese h-INS PCOSs showed the lowest expression when compared with other groups. In conclusion, our data demonstrate that GLUT4 is present in the endometrium of normal and PCOS subjects and that hyperinsulinism and obesity seem to have a negative effect on endometrial GLUT4 expression in PCOS.
Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Clinica Medica 3, University of Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy. robertomioni@libero.it
Roberto
R
Mioni
Silvia
S
Chiarelli
Nadia
N
Xamin
Laura
L
Zuliani
Marnie
M
Granzotto
Bruno
B
Mozzanega
Pietro
P
Maffei
Chiara
C
Martini
Stella
S
Blandamura
Nicola
N
Sicolo
Roberto
R
Vettor
D000328:Adult; D004717:Endometrium / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D051275:Glucose Transporter Type 4; D006801:Humans; D006946:Hyperinsulinism / Q000150:complications; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D008597:Menstrual Cycle / Q000378:metabolism; D009004:Monosaccharide Transport Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D009124:Muscle Proteins; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications; D011085:Polycystic Ovary Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D013194:Staining and Labeling; D013851:Thinness / Q000150:complications
D051275:Glucose Transporter Type 4; D009004:Monosaccharide Transport Proteins; D009124:Muscle Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C495692:SLC2A4 protein, human