Glucose transport by uterine plasma membranes

Uterine plasma membrane preparations were obtained by centrifugation on discontinuous sucrose gradients. The specific activity of the plasma membrane marker 5'-nucleotidase was increased 10-fold while the specific activity of glucose-6-phosphatase was increased 3-fold. Electron microscopy showed mainly closed vesicles having diameters mainly in the range of 0.1 to 0.4 micron and an absence of other recognizable organelles such as mitochondria. D-Glucose transport was inhibited by sulfhydryl reagents, phloretin, and cytochalasin B. Uptake was prevented at high osmotic pressures. The Km of glucose transport was 12.2 +/- 1.1 mM. Studies of the inhibition of [3H]cytochalasin B binding by D-glucose indicated that the value of the Kd of the cytochalasin B-transporter complex was larger than 1 microM. These data demonstrate the potential usefulness of these preparations in the study of glucose transport in rat uterus and its control by steroid hormones.