RT improves OGC-stimulated muscle MBF and glycemic control concomitantly, suggesting that MBF plays a role in improved glycemic control from RT.

Skeletal muscle is an important site for insulin to regulate blood glucose levels. It is estimated that skeletal muscle is responsible for ~80% of insulin-mediated glucose disposal in the post-prandial period. The classical action of insulin to increase muscle glucose uptake involves insulin binding to insulin receptors on myocytes to stimulate glucose transporter 4 (GLUT 4) translocation to the cell surface membrane, enhancing glucose uptake. However, an additional role of insulin that is often under-appreciated is its action to increase muscle perfusion thereby improving insulin and glucose delivery to myocytes. Either of these responses (myocyte and/or vascular) may be impaired in insulin resistance, and both impairments are apparent in type 2 diabetes, resulting in diminished glucose disposal by muscle. The aim of this review is to report on the growing body of literature suggesting that insulin-mediated control of skeletal muscle perfusion is an important regulator of muscle glucose uptake and that impairment of microvascular insulin action has important physiological consequences early in the pathogenesis of insulin resistance. This work was discussed at the 2015 Australian Physiological Society Symposium "Physiological mechanisms controlling microvascular flow and muscle metabolism".

Aim: Hypoxia has been shown to reduce resistance exercise-induced stimulation of protein synthesis and long-term gains in muscle mass. However, the mechanism whereby hypoxia exerts its effect is not clear. Here, we examine the effect of acute hypoxia on the activity of several signalling pathways involved in the regulation of muscle growth following a bout of resistance exercise.Methods: Eight men performed two sessions of leg resistance exercise in normoxia or hypoxia (12% O 2 ) in a randomized crossover fashion. Muscle biopsies were obtained at rest and 0, 90,180 minutes after exercise. Muscle analyses included levels of signalling proteins and metabolites associated with energy turnover.Results: Exercise during normoxia induced a 5-10-fold increase of S6K1 Thr389 phosphorylation throughout the recovery period, but hypoxia blunted the increases by ~50%. Phosphorylation of JNK Thr183/Tyr185 and the JNK target SMAD2 Ser245/250/255 was increased by 30-to 40-fold immediately after the exercise in normoxia, but hypoxia blocked almost 70% of the activation. Throughout recovery, phosphorylation of JNK and SMAD2 remained elevated following the exercise in normoxia, but the effect of hypoxia was lost at 90-180 minutes postexercise. Hypoxia had no effect on exercise-induced Hippo or autophagy signalling and ubiquitin-proteasome related protein levels. Nor did hypoxia alter the changes induced by exercise in high-energy phosphates, glucose 6-P, lactate or phosphorylation of AMPK or ACC. Conclusion:We conclude that acute severe hypoxia inhibits resistance exerciseinduced mTORC1-and JNK signalling in human skeletal muscle, effects that do not appear to be mediated by changes in the degree of metabolic stress in the muscle.

The effects of heating on glycogen synthesis (incorporation of [C]glucose into glycogen) and accumulation after intense repeated contractions were investigated. Isolated mouse extensor digitorum longus muscle (type II) was stimulated electrically to perform intense tetanic contractions at 25°C. After 120 min recovery at 25°C, glycogen accumulated to almost 80% of basal, whereas after recovery at 35°C, glycogen remained low (~25% of basal). Glycogen synthesis averaged 0.97±0.07 µmol/30 min/g wet wt during recovery at 25°C and 1.48±0.08 during recovery at 35°C (P<0.001). There were no differences in phosphorylase and glycogen synthase total activities, nor in phosphorylase fractional activity, whereas glycogen synthase fractional activity was increased by ~50% after recovery at 35°C vs. 25°C. Inorganic phosphate (Pi, substrate for phosphorylase) was markedly increased (~300% of basal) following contraction, but returned to control levels after 120 min recovery at 25°C. In contrast, Pi remained elevated after recovery at 35°C (>2-fold higher than recovery at 25°C). Estimates of glycogen breakdown indicated that phosphorylase activity (either via inhibition at 25°C or activation at 35°C) was responsible for ~60% of glycogen accumulation during recovery at 25°C and ~45% during recovery at 35°C. These data demonstrate that despite the enhancing effect of heating on glycogen synthesis during recovery from intense contractions, glycogen accumulation is inhibited owing to Pi-mediated activation of phosphorylase. Thus phosphorylase can play a quantitatively important role in glycogen biogenesis during recovery from repeated contractions in isolated type II muscle.

Fight or flight is a biologic phenomenon that involves activation of β-adrenoceptors in skeletal muscle. However, how force generation is enhanced through adrenergic activation in different muscle types is not fully understood. We studied the effects of isoproterenol (ISO, β-receptor agonist) on force generation and energy metabolism in isolated mouse soleus (SOL, oxidative) and extensor digitorum longus (EDL, glycolytic) muscles. Muscles were stimulated with isometric tetanic contractions and analyzed for metabolites and phosphorylase activity. Under conditions of maximal force production, ISO enhanced force generation markedly more in SOL (22%) than in EDL (8%). Similarly, during a prolonged tetanic contraction (30 s for SOL and 10 s for EDL), ISO-enhanced the force × time integral more in SOL (25%) than in EDL (3%). ISO induced marked activation of phosphorylase in both muscles in the basal state, which was associated with glycogenolysis (less in SOL than in EDL), and in EDL only, a significant decrease (16%) in inorganic phosphate (Pi). ATP turnover during sustained contractions (1 s EDL, 5 s SOL) was not affected by ISO in EDL, but essentially doubled in SOL. Under conditions of maximal stimulation, ISO has a minor effect on force generation in EDL that is associated with a decrease in Pi, whereas ISO has a marked effect on force generation in SOL that is associated with an increase in ATP turnover. Thus, phosphorylase functions as a phosphate trap in ISO-mediated force enhancement in EDL and as a catalyzer of ATP supply in SOL.