Sodium Tungstate Affecting Adipocyte Glucose Metabolism

Tungsten is a trace element, widely distributed in the form of sodium tungstate. In recent years, sodium tungstate has discovered to be with a strong effect on anti-diabetic, it can treat the blood sugar of type Ⅰand type Ⅱ diabetes animal models to normal level, and even after withdrawal for quite some time, the blood glucose level of the treated animals is still lower than the comparison team, and with less toxicity, bioavailability. Because of the effect of tungstate in diabetic, it is concerned by everyone in recent years, and considered to be a potential hypoglycemic drug, but its hypoglycemic mechanism is not fully understood. Although there are many studies have shown that it plays a role as insulin like: promotes glycogen synthesis, increases glucose oxidation, inhibits gluconeogenesis, but its impact on carbohydrate metabolism study is still rare. This study examined the effects of sodium tungstate on adipocyte glucose consumption and transport rates and GLUT-4 mRNA expression, and to further explore the mechanism of sodium tungstate hypoglycemic.


Remarks:
The vertical coordinate represents: Glucose transport rate
The horizontal coordinate represents: Sodium content of sodium

Sodium tungstate can promote the consumption of adipocyte glucose, increase the transport rate of adipocyte glucose, also sodium tungstate enhanced glucose metabolism in fat cells shows out as a dose-dependent manner has been observed, and when in the concentration of 500, 700u mol/L, the effect tends to a higher level. Because GLUT-4 is the main protein of glucose transport in fat cells, which has an important role in glucose metabolism. In this study, semi-quantitative RT-PCR is used for inspecting the expression of GLUT-4 mRNA in adipose cells, and each concentration of sodium tungstate in experimental group was showed that GLUT-4 mRNA expression was significantly raised. Giroona an her other team members observed that the GLUT-4 content of insulin sensitive tissues in hyperglycemic animal was decreased, but after treated with sodium tungstate, the levels of skeletal muscle cell GLUT-4 and mRNA has been significantly increased STZ diabetic rats. Moreover, GLUT-4 content of cell density microsomes and plasma membrane are increased, which is meaning that stimulate GLUT-4 translocation from the inside to cell membranes, thus speeding up the glucose through the cell membrane into the cell, and finally lower the blood sugar. Recent studies have found that sodium tungstate promote glycogen synthesis non-insulin-receptor-dependent pathway, primarily coming out activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1 and 2 (ERK1 / 2). Sodium tungstate up-regulate the expression of GLUT-4, and promote the mechanism of glucose metabolism in fat cells may also be the effect of non-insulin-dependent pathway as insulin receptor, but need further study.

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