Korean Diabetes J.  2010 Aug;34(4):244-252. 10.4093/kdj.2010.34.4.244.

Effects of Endurance Exercise and High-Fat Diet on Insulin Resistance and Ceramide Contents of Skeletal Muscle in Sprague-Dawley Rats

• Jung HL
• Kang HY

• KMID: 2029878
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4093/kdj.2010.34.4.244

Abstract

BACKGROUND
We evaluated the effects of endurance exercise and a high-fat diet on insulin resistance and ceramide contents of skeletal muscle in Sprague-Dawley rats.
METHODS
We randomly divided 32 rats into four groups: control (CON, n = 8), high fat diet (HF, n = 8), exercise (Ex, 24 m/min for 2 hours, 5 days/wk, n = 8), HF/Ex (n = 8). After 4-week treatments, plasma lipid profiles, glucose and insulin concentrations were measured. The triglycerides (TG), ceramide, and glucose transporter 4 (GLUT-4) contents were measured in the skeletal muscle. The rate of glucose transport was determined under submaximal insulin concentration during the muscle incubation.
RESULTS
Free fatty acid levels were significantly higher in CON and HF than Ex (P = 0.032). Plasma glucose levels in HF were significantly higher than the two Ex groups (P = 0.002), and insulin levels were significantly higher in HF than in other three groups (P = 0.021). Muscular TG concentrations were significantly higher in HF than CON and Ex and also in HF/Ex than Ex, respectively (P = 0.005). Hepatic TG concentrations were significantly higher in HF than other three groups but Ex was significantly lower than HF/Ex (P = 0.000). Muscular ceramide content in HF was significantly greater than that in either Ex or HF/Ex (P = 0.031). GLUT-4 levels in CON and HF were significantly lower than those in Ex and HF/Ex (P = 0.009, P = 0.003). The glucose transport rate in submaximal insulin concentration was lower in CON than in either Ex or HF/Ex (P = 0.043), but not different from HF.
CONCLUSION
This study suggests that high fat diet for 4 weeks selectively impairs insulin resistance, but not glucose transport rate, GLUT-4 and ceramide content in skeletal muscle per se. However, endurance exercise markedly affects the content of ceramide and insulin resistance in muscle.

Keyword

Ceramides; Glucose transport rate; Glucose transporter type 4; High-fat diet; Insulin resistance

MeSH Terms

Animals
Ceramides
Diet, High-Fat
Glucose
Glucose Transport Proteins, Facilitative
Glucose Transporter Type 4
Insulin
Insulin Resistance
Muscle, Skeletal
Muscles
Plasma
Rats
Rats, Sprague-Dawley
Triglycerides
Ceramides
Glucose
Glucose Transport Proteins, Facilitative
Glucose Transporter Type 4
Insulin
Triglycerides

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 Changes in body weight. Data are shown as means ± standard error, n = 8. CON, control group; HF, high fat diet group; Ex, exercise group; HF/Ex, high fat diet/exercise group. aP < 0.05 vs. CON, bP < 0.05 vs. Ex, cP < 0.05 vs. HF, dP < 0.05 vs. HF/Ex.

• 

  Fig. 2 Changes in glucose level. Data are shown as means ± standard error, n = 8. CON, control group; HF, high fat diet group; Ex, exercise group; HF/Ex, high fat diet/exercise group. aP < 0.05 vs. CON, bP < 0.05 vs. HF.

• 

  Fig. 3 Plasma insulin concentrations. Data are shown as means ± standard error, n = 8. CON, control group; HF, high fat diet group; Ex, exercise group; HF/Ex, high fat diet/exercise group. aP < 0.05 vs. HF.

• 

  Fig. 4 (A) Triglyceride contents in muscle. (B) Triglyceride contents in the liver. Data are shown as means ± standard error, n = 8. CON, control group; HF, high fat diet group; Ex, exercise group; HF/Ex, high fat diet/exercise group. aP < 0.05 vs. HF, bP < 0.05 vs. HF/Ex.

• 

  Fig. 5 Ceramide contents in the plantaris muscle. Data are shown as means ± standard error, n = 7. CON, control group; HF, high fat diet group; Ex, exercise group; HF/Ex, high fat diet/exercise group. aP < 0.05 vs. HF.

• 

  Fig. 6 (A) GLUT-4 contents in the red gastrocnemius muscle. (B) GLUT-4 contents in the white gastrocnemius muscle. Data are shown as means ± standard error, n = 8. CON, control group; HF, high fat diet group; Ex, exercise group; HF/Ex, high fat diet/exercise group. aP < 0.05 vs. CON, bP < 0.05 vs. HF.

• 

  Fig. 7 (A) Glucose transport rate at submaximal insulin concentrations in the soleus muscle. (B) Glucose transport rate at non-insulin concentrations in soleus muscle. Data are shown as means ± standard error, n = 7. CON, control group; HF, high fat diet group; Ex, exercise group; HF/Ex, high fat diet/exercise group. aP < 0.05 vs. CON.

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