Cultured fibroblasts as a suitable model for studying insulin action on glucose uptake

The action of insulin on glucose uptake in human or animal cultured fibroblasts has been subject of several studies. The results obtained vary greatly from one study to the next with regard to the response to the hormone but this should be related to the various and somewhat questionable experimental protocols. In general, it would appear that fibroblasts are less sensitive to insulin than adipocytes in the stimulation of sugar transport. This might be due to a smaller number of insulin receptors in fibroblasts or to a poor affinity for the hormone. In addition, as the response to insulin depends greatly on culture conditions (confluency, serum or glucose starvation ...) this cellular model must be used carefully in studies concerning insulin action on glucose uptake.