Altered expression of glucose transporter isoforms with aging in rats--selective decrease in GluT4 in the fat tissue and skeletal muscle.

To elucidate the cellular mechanisms of glucose intolerance associated with aging, both the protein and mRNA levels of glucose transporter isoforms were studied in the various tissues of young (7-week-old) and aged (20-month-old) rats. GluT4 (adipose/muscle-type glucose transporter) protein, which is specifically expressed in insulin-responsive tissues, was selectively decreased per milligram of cellular membrane protein in both the epididymal fat tissues and the gastrocnemius muscle of the aged rats compared with the young rats. When the changes in total cellular membranes per gram of tissue are taken into account, a further decrease in GluT4 protein per gram of tissue was observed in the tissues of the aged rats compared with the young rats. The decreased amount of GluT4 protein in the fat tissues of the aged rats is probably due to the decreased protein synthesis rather than the stability, since GluT4 mRNA/micrograms of cellular total RNA was also decreased. In contrast, GluT4 mRNA in the gastrocnemius muscle was rather increased and a ratio of GluT4 protein/GluT4 mRNA was decreased by 70% in the aged rats, suggesting that the translational efficiency and/or stability of GluT4 protein is decreased in the skeletal muscle of the aged rats compared with the young rats. GluT2 (liver-type glucose transporter) protein and mRNA in the liver were also decreased in the aged rats, while no apparent decrease in GluT1 (HepG2/brain-type glucose transporter) protein/mg of cellular membrane protein was observed in the skeletal muscle and fat tissues of the aged rats compared with the young rats.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)