Accelerated net efflux of 3-O-[14C]methylglucose in isolated fat cells.

A flow-tube apparatus suited for measurement of rapid efflux of sugars from adipocytes is described. Due to heterogeneity of fat cell populations, a conventional analysis of the time-course of net efflux of 3-O-methylglucose based on the integrated rate equation can produce gross errors in estimates of kinetic parameters. The half-saturation constant and maximum transport capacity for 3-O-methylglucose transport were found to be about 3-fold higher for net efflux than for equilibrium exchange flux, both in insulin-stimulated and non-stimulated adipocytes. This suggests asymmetric kinetic parameters for 3-O-methylglucose transport.