Aging and glucose transporter plasticity in response to hypobaric hypoxia.

In order to gain a better understanding of tissue plasticity with aging, we investigated the adaptive responses of young and adult animals to both 7 and 28 days of hypobaric hypoxia. Senescence is associated with a decreased tolerance to hypoxia that may be related to an age-associated decline in glucose transporter system plasticity. In addition, elucidation of the factors contributing to the decreased hypoxia tolerance with aging may provide insights into ischemia for older individuals. Following 7 days of hypobaric hypoxia, soleus and plantaris muscle Glut-4 contents were increased 23-45% with a greater increase in the soleus muscle for both ages. A parallel decline in insulin receptor content was observed in both the young (soleus 56%; plantaris 74%) and adult (soleus 26%; plantaris 37%) animals over 7 days. Similar responses were observed in cardiac muscle over 7 days, with increases in content for both Glut-4 (young 25%; adult 23%) and Glut-1 (young 33%; adult 44%) and a decline in insulin receptor (young 27%; adult 15%). Following 28 days of hypobaric hypoxia, adult soleus, and both age groups plantaris muscle Glut-4 and insulin receptor contents were similar to control. However, the young soleus muscle Glut-4 and insulin receptor contents were still significantly different from control but only altered about half as much as following 7 days of exposure to hypobaric hypoxia. In contrast to what was observed for skeletal muscle, cardiac Glut-4 content was further elevated in both young (33%) and adult (44%) animals with longer exposure to hypobaric hypoxia. The young animals also showed a further decrease in heart insulin receptor content, while the adult did not. Interestingly, cardiac Glut-1 levels returned to normal values for both young and adult animals with prolonged exposure. An adaptive coregulation of Glut-4 and insulin receptor content appears to optimize the use of glucose during chronic hypobaric hypoxia within these tissues. Differences are apparent in the magnitude and time course of the response between young and adult animals.