Effect of denervation or unweighting on GLUT-4 protein in rat soleus muscle

The study is intended to test the hypothesis that the decreased capacity for glucose transport in the denervated rat soleus and the increased capacity for glucose transport in the unweighted rat soleus are related to changes in the expression of the regulatable glucose transporter protein in skeletal muscle (GLUT-4). Results obtained indicate that altered GLUT-4 expression may be a major contributor to the changes in insulin-stimulated glucose transport that are observed with denervation and unweighting. It is concluded that muscle activity is an important factor in the regulation of the GLUT-4 expression in skeletal muscle.