Over-expression of GLUT4 selectively in adipose tissue in transgenic mice: implications for nutrient partitioning

In summary, over-expression of GLUT4 selectively in fat causes increased flux of glucose into adipocytes and leads to increases in either the replication of immature pre-adipocytes or their differentiation into mature adipocytes resulting in an increase in fat cell number. This is the first model in which obesity is accounted for entirely by adipocyte hyperplasia and, therefore, is useful for studying the mechanisms involved in controlling fat cell number in vivo. GLUT4 over-expression in adipocytes of transgenic animals also increased whole- body insulin sensitivity. However, GLUT4 over-expression exclusively in adipocytes did not protect them from insulin resistance in vivo induced by high-fat feeding, in spite of the fact that insulin resistance was prevented at the level of the adipocyte. Interestingly, GLUT4 over-expression in fat protected the animals from developing further obesity when fed on a high-fat diet. It is possible that this failure to increase adiposity further is due to enhanced partitioning of glucose into fat, which may result in decreased glucose supply to muscle. This in turn may cause diversion of lipid to muscle to be oxidized as fatty acid. This diversion of lipid could result in protection against increased fat deposition in adipocytes. Further studies will be required in order to understand the molecular mechanisms by which GLUT4 over-expression in adipose tissues affects nutrient partitioning between muscle and adipose tissue and what the consequences of this are for whole-body fuel metabolism.