Isomer-specific antidiabetic properties of conjugated linoleic acid. Improved glucose tolerance, skeletal muscle insulin action, and UCP-2 gene expression.

Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) isomers have a number of beneficial health effects, as shown in biomedical studies with animal models. Previously, we reported that a mixture of CLA isomers improved glucose tolerance in ZDF rats and activated peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)-gamma response elements in vitro. Here, our aim was to elucidate the effect(s) of specific CLA isomers on whole-body glucose tolerance, insulin action in skeletal muscle, and expression of genes important in glucose and lipid metabolism.

Predominant expression of the mitochondrial dicarboxylate carrier in white adipose tissue.

We report the identification of a novel mouse protein closely related to the family of mitochondrial uncoupling proteins and the oxoglutarate carrier. The cDNA encodes a protein of 287 amino acids that shares all the hallmark features of the mitochondrial transporter superfamily, including six predicted transmembrane domains. It is nearly identical to the sequence recently reported for the rat mitochondrial dicarboxylate carrier (DIC).

In vitro analysis of the glucose-transport system in GLUT4-null skeletal muscle.

We have characterized the glucose-transport system in soleus muscle from female GLUT4-null mice to determine whether GLUT1, 3 or 5 account for insulin-stimulated glucose-transport activity. Insulin increased 2-deoxyglucose uptake 2.8- and 2.

Downregulation of uncoupling protein 2 mRNA in white adipose tissue and uncoupling protein 3 mRNA in skeletal muscle during the early stages of leptin treatment.

The mechanisms underlying the increase in energy expenditure during leptin treatment are not clear. We recently showed that a 5-h intravenous or intracerebroventricular infusion of leptin elevated basal glucose uptake in skeletal muscle (SM) and brown adipose tissue and increased whole-body glucose turnover in C57Bl/6J mice (Kamohara S, Burcelin R, Halaas JL, Friedman JM, Charron MJ: Acute stimulation of glucose metabolism in mice by leptin treatment. Nature 389:374-377, 1997).