The effect of diet fat on rat adipocyte glucose transport

Rats were fed either a high fat diet (67% of calories as lard) or high glucose diet (67% of calories as glucose) for 7-8 days. Basal and insulin stimulated net uptake of D glucose (D-L) and 2 deoxy D glucose uptake by free fat cells of fat rats were depressed. Net transport of D glucose (D-L) by purified adipocyte plasma membranes of fat red rats was also diminished. Incubation of fat cells from glucose fed rats with insulin before homogenization for membrane preparation increased net D glucose transport by subsequently purified membranes in two experiments to a greater extent than in similar preparations from rat fed rats. These experiments suggest that fat feeding modifies the plasma membranes of fat cells so that both glucose transport and the stimulatory effect of insulin on the process are decreased.