In vivo administration of glucosamine inhibited phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase activity without affecting tyrosine phosphorylation of the insulin receptor or insulin receptor substrate in rat adipocytes.

We examined insulin signaling in rat epididymal adipocytes which developed insulin resistance by the in vivo infusion of glucosamine. Insulin-stimulated 2-deoxyglucose uptake into the adipocytes isolated from rats which were infused glucosamine for 4 hours was diminished by 26%. To analyze insulin signaling in adipocytes, the epididymal fat tissues were harvested 5 minutes after insulin administration (10U/kg), which was administered immediately after glucosamine infusion. Glucosamine had no effect on the insulin-stimulated tyrosine phosphorylation of the insulin receptor and insulin receptor substrate (IRS)-1. Glucosamine infusion decreased insulin-stimulated phosphatidylinositol (PI) 3-kinase activity by 66%. Glucosamine infusion also inhibited insulin-stimulated PI 3-kinase activity associated with IRS-1, 2, 3 by 30%, 43%, and 44%, respectively. There was no difference in the association of the 85kDa subunit of PI 3-kinase with the IRS-1 and IRS-2 protein. PI 3-kinase activity in adipocytes from rats treated with glucosamine that were administered platelet derived growth factor (3microg/kg) for 5 minutes was also reduced by 39%. When we measured the kinase activity of protein kinase C (PKC) lamda, which is the downstream effector of PI 3-kinase in isolated adipocytes, we found that glucosamine inhibited insulin stimulated PKClamda kinase activity by 33%. These results suggest that glucosamine infusion contributes to the development of insulin resistance by mainly modulating the PI 3-kinase molecules.