Effect of exercise on insulin receptor binding and kinase activity in skeletal muscle

Insulin action in skeletal muscle is markedly enhanced for several hours after an acute bout of exercise. The purpose of this study was to examine the possible involvement of the intrinsic tyrosine kinase activity of the insulin receptor in mediating these effects. Red and white muscles were removed from rats either at rest or following a treadmill run (45 min at 18 m/min), and insulin receptors were isolated in partially purified form. Basal and insulin-stimulated receptor kinase activity was higher in red than in white muscle, in agreement with previous studies (J. Biol. Chem. 261: 14939-14944, 1986). There was no effect of exercise on insulin binding, basal and insulin-stimulated receptor autophosphorylation, or basal and insulin-stimulated exogenous kinase activity, in either red or white muscle. Similar data were obtained when phosphatase inhibitors were used during receptor isolation. The structure of insulin receptors isolated from the muscle of exercised and control rats was similar as judged by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of affinity cross-linked insulin receptors. We conclude that enhanced insulin action in muscle during the postexercise state is not related to increased kinase activity of the insulin receptor.