Green and black tea suppress hyperglycemia and insulin resistance by retaining the expression of glucose transporter 4 in muscle of high-fat diet-fed C57BL/6J mice.

To investigate the preventive effects of tea on hyperglycemia and insulin resistance, male C57BL/6J mice were given a high-fat diet containing 29% lard and also green or black tea ad libitum for 14 weeks. Both teas suppressed body weight gain and deposition of white adipose tissue caused by the diet. In addition, they improved hyperglycemia and glucose intolerance by stimulating glucose uptake activity accompanied by the translocation of glucose transporter (GLUT) 4 to the plasma membrane in muscle. Long-term consumption of the high-fat diet reduced levels of insulin receptor β-subunit, GLUT4 and AMP-activated protein kinase α in muscle, and green and black tea suppressed these decreases. The results strongly suggest that green and black tea suppress high-fat diet-evoked hyperglycemia and insulin resistance by retaining the level of GLUT4 and increasing the level of GLUT4 on the plasma membrane in muscle.