Fargesin, a component of Flos Magnoliae, stimulates glucose uptake in L6 myotubes.
Flos Magnoliae (FM) is a commonly used Chinese medicinal herb for symptomatic relief of allergic rhinitis, sinusitis and headache. Although several FM species have been used as substitutes or adulterants for clinical use, possible differences in their pharmacological actions have not been reported. To confirm the effects of FM on skeletal muscle glucose metabolism, we tested the effects of several compounds isolated from FM on glucose uptake by L6 myotubes. We found that fargesin, a component of FM, dose-dependently stimulated glucose consumption in L6 myotubes, which was accompanied by enhanced glucose transporter (GLUT)-4 translocation to the cell surface. Fargesin-stimulated glucose uptake was blocked by wortmannin, a phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3 K) inhibitor. Fargesin stimulated Akt phosphorylation, a key component in the insulin signaling pathway, which was completely inhibited by wortmannin. Here, we demonstrated that fargesin, a bioactive component of Flos Magnoliae, increases basal glucose uptake and GLUT4 translocation in L6 myotubes by activating the PI3 K-Akt pathway.
Research Institute for Biological Functions, Chubu University, 1200 Matsumoto, Kasugai, Aichi, Japan.
Sun-Sil
SS
Choi
Byung-Yoon
BY
Cha
Bong-Keun
BK
Choi
Young-Sil
YS
Lee
Takayuki
T
Yonezawa
Toshiaki
T
Teruya
Kazuo
K
Nagai
Je-Tae
JT
Woo
D000818:Animals; D052117:Benzodioxoles / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001692:Biological Transport / Q000187:drug effects*; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D051275:Glucose Transporter Type 4 / Q000378:metabolism; D017705:Lignans / Q000494:pharmacology*; D031566:Magnolia / Q000737:chemistry*; D032446:Myoblasts / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D010766:Phosphorylation / Q000187:drug effects; D021381:Protein Transport / Q000187:drug effects; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects
D052117:Benzodioxoles; D051275:Glucose Transporter Type 4; D017705:Lignans; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; C539377:fargesin; D005947:Glucose