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Updated: Jun 24, 2026
06:28
A Simple Flow Cytometric Method to Measure Glucose Uptake and Glucose Transporter Expression for Monocyte Subpopulations in Whole Blood
Published on: August 12, 2016
Glucose Tranporter-4 expression in monocytes: a systematic review.
Yorgi Mavros1, David Simar, Maria A Fiatarone Singh
1Exercise, Health and Performance Faculty Research Group, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Sydney, East Street, Lidcombe, Sydney, NSW 2141, Australia. ymav5521@mail.usyd.edu.au
Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice
|March 17, 2009
Summary
Monocyte Glucose Transporter-4 (GLUT-4) expression may indicate insulin resistance. While insulin stimulates GLUT-4 in monocytes, more research is needed to confirm its clinical use for assessing whole-body insulin sensitivity.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Cell Biology
- Metabolic Research
Background:
- Glucose Transporter-4 (GLUT-4) is crucial for insulin-mediated glucose uptake.
- Monocytes are accessible immune cells that may reflect systemic metabolic status.
- Investigating GLUT-4 in monocytes offers a potential non-invasive approach to assess insulin action.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review current knowledge on human monocyte GLUT-4 expression.
- To evaluate the potential of monocyte GLUT-4 as a reliable model for studying insulin signaling and action.
- To determine if monocyte GLUT-4 can serve as a biomarker for insulin resistance.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review of electronic databases using keywords related to monocytes and glucose transporters (GLUT, SLC2A4).
- Inclusion criteria focused on studies examining GLUT-4 expression in human monocytes.
- Reviewers assessed the robustness of study design and outcomes by consensus.
Main Results:
- Six observational studies met the review criteria.
- Insulin-stimulated GLUT-4 expression in monocytes was found to be blunted in subjects with likely impaired insulin sensitivity compared to healthy individuals.
- Evidence suggests monocyte GLUT-4 translocation occurs with acute insulin exposure.
Conclusions:
- Monocyte GLUT-4 translocation appears sensitive to an individual's insulin resistance status.
- The current data suggest monocyte GLUT-4 expression may be a viable indicator of insulin sensitivity.
- Further research with more robust data is required to establish the clinical utility and relevance of monocyte GLUT-4 expression as an index of whole-body insulin responsiveness.
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