Novel Expression of GLUT3, GLUT6 and GLUT10 in Equine Gluteal Muscle Following Glycogen-Depleting Exercise: Impact of Dietary Starch and Fat.
Abstract: Horses have a slow rate of muscle glycogen repletion relative to other species for unknown reasons. Our aim was to determine the expression of glucose transporters () and genes impacting GLUT4 expression and translocation in the gluteal muscle. Five fit Thoroughbred horses performed glycogen-depleting exercises on high-starch (HS, 2869 g starch/day) and low-starch, high-fat diets (LS-HF, 358 g starch/d) with gluteal muscle biopsies obtained before and after depletion and during repletion. Muscle glycogen declined by ≈30% on both diets with little increase during repletion on LS-HF. Transcriptomic analysis identified differential expression (DE) of only 2/12 genes impacting GLUT4 translocation (two subunits of AMP protein kinase) and only at depletion on LS-HF. Only 1/13 genes encoding proteins that promote transcription had increased DE ( at depletion LS-HF). comprised ≈30% of total mRNA expression at rest. Remarkably, by 72 h of repletion expression of , and increased to ≈25% of total mRNA. Expression of and lagged from 24 h of repletion on HS to 72 h on LS-HF. Lacking an increase in gene expression in response to glycogen-depleting exercise, equine muscle increases , and expression potentially to enhance glucose transport, resembling responses observed in resistance trained GLUT4-null mice.
Publication Date: 2023-06-01 PubMed ID: 37367876PubMed Central: PMC10301051DOI: 10.3390/metabo13060718Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary
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The research aimed at understanding why horses have a slower muscle glycogen repletion rate compared to other species and focused on the expression of glucose transporters and genes influencing GLUT4 expression in the gluteal muscle, using dietary variations and glycogen-depleting exercises in horses as investigation matrices. The researchers found that the lack of increase in GLUT4 gene expression in response to glycogen-depleting exercise, led to increased expressions of GLUT3, GLUT6, and GLUT10, possibly enhancing glucose transport.
Research Aim and Methodology
- The primary objective of the research was to understand the reason behind the slow rate of muscle glycogen repletion in horses compared to other species.
- The researchers focused on determining the expression of glucose transporters (GLUT) and genes affecting GLUT4 expression in the horse’s gluteal muscle.
- Five Thoroughbred horses, maintained on high-starch and low-starch high-fat diets were made to undertake glycogen-depleting exercises. Gluteal muscle biopsies were taken before and after these exercises and during the repletion stage.
Findings and Data Analysis
- The study found that muscle glycogen decreased by around 30% on both diets with little increase during the repletion stage on low-starch high-fat diets.
- The transcriptomic analysis showed differential expression of only two out of twelve genes affecting GLUT4 translocation and at depletion only on low-starch, high-fat diet. Only one gene out of thirteen encoding proteins showed increased differential expression.
- The study revealed that GLUT3 contributed to approximately 30% of total GLUT mRNA expression at rest. However, by the 72 hours of the repletion stage, the expression of GLUT3, GLUT6, and GLUT10 increased to almost 25% of the total GLUT mRNA.
- The expressions of GLUT6 and GLUT10 lagged from 24 hours of repletion on a high-starch diet to 72 hours on a low-starch high-fat diet.
Conclusions
- The study concluded that most likely due to the absence of an increase in GLUT4 gene expression in response to glycogen-depleting exercise, horse’s muscles increase the expression of GLUT3, GLUT6, and GLUT10. This response could be a mechanism to enhance glucose transport.
- This reaction mirrors responses observed in resistance-trained GLUT4-null mice, suggesting that it might be a common adaptation in response to glycogen depletion.
Cite This Article
APA
Valberg SJ, Velez-Irizarry D, Williams ZJ, Pagan JD, Mesquita V, Waldridge B, Maresca-Fichter H.
(2023).
Novel Expression of GLUT3, GLUT6 and GLUT10 in Equine Gluteal Muscle Following Glycogen-Depleting Exercise: Impact of Dietary Starch and Fat.
Metabolites, 13(6), 718.
https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo13060718 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- McPhail Equine Performance Center, Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Michigan State University, 736 Wilson RD, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.
- McPhail Equine Performance Center, Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Michigan State University, 736 Wilson RD, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.
- McPhail Equine Performance Center, Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Michigan State University, 736 Wilson RD, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.
- Kentucky Equine Research, 3910 Delany Ferry Rd., Versailles, KY 40383, USA.
- Kentucky Equine Research, 3910 Delany Ferry Rd., Versailles, KY 40383, USA.
- Kentucky Equine Research, 3910 Delany Ferry Rd., Versailles, KY 40383, USA.
- McPhail Equine Performance Center, Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Michigan State University, 736 Wilson RD, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.
Grant Funding
- AA18-00 / Michigan Alliance for Animal Agriculture
- none / Mary Anne McPhail Endowment at Michigan State University
- none / Kentucky Equine Research
Conflict of Interest Statement
Joe Pagan is the President of Kentucky Equine Research and designed the original study that evaluated glycogen depletion. He had no role in analysis of muscle glycogen concentrations or the methodology or interpretation of the transcriptomic analysis and he approved the final version of the manuscript.
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