Insulin elicits a ROS-activated and an IP3-dependent Ca2+ release; both impinge on GLUT4 translocation

Abstract

Insulin signaling includes generation of low levels of H2O2; however, its origin and contribution to insulin-stimulated glucose transport are unknown. We tested the impact of H2O2 on insulin-dependent glucose transport and GLUT4 translocation in skeletal muscle cells. H2O2 increased GLUT4myc translocation, an effect additive to that of insulin. The anti-oxidants N-acetyl L-cysteine and Trolox, the p47phox/NOX2 NADPH oxidase inhibitory peptide gp91-ds-tat or p47phox knockdown each reduced insulin-dependent GLUT4myc translocation. Importantly, gp91-ds-tat suppressed insulin-dependent H2O2 production. A ryanodine-receptor (RyR) channel agonist stimulated GLUT4myc translocation and insulin stimulated RyR1-mediated Ca2+ release by promoting RyR1 S-glutathionylation. This pathway acts in parallel to insulin-mediated stimulation of inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3) activated Ca2+ channels, enacted through activation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and its downstream target phospholipase C, resulting in Ca2+ transfer to the mitochondria. An inhibitor of IP3 receptors, Xestospongin B, reduced both insulin-dependent IP3 production and GLUT4myc translocation. We propose that, in addition to the canonical α,β phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase to Akt pathway, insulin engages both RyR-mediated Ca2+ release and IP3 receptor-mediated mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake, and that these signals jointly stimulate glucose uptake.