Forskolin inhibition of hexose transport in cardiomyocytes

The effects of insulin, forskolin, isoproterenol, and epinephrine on 3-O-methylglucose (hexose) transport and cell cyclic AMP levels were determined in adult rat cardiomyocytes. Insulin stimulated hexose transport in these cells an average of 2.5-fold. Initial hexose transport rates at 1 mM hexose were 3.75 X 10(-2) nmol/mg cell protein/second in the absence of insulin, and 8.25 X 10(-2) nmol/mg cell protein/second in the presence of 12.3 microM insulin. Forskolin at 5 microM nearly abolished hexose transport within 3 s of exposure, but did not increase cell cyclic AMP concentrations within 9 s. The apparent Ki for hexose transport inhibition was about 0.3 microM forskolin. Epinephrine and isoproterenol at 50 microM increased cell cyclic AMP 4-fold during 9 s exposure, but did not affect hexose transport. Treatment of cells with these catecholamines of forskolin for up to 99 s increased cell cyclic AMP, but only forskolin inhibited hexose transport. We conclude from these results that forskolin acts on hexose transport independent of its action on adenyl cyclase, and that cyclic AMP does not inhibit or stimulate hexose transport.