Regulation of glucose transport by angiotensin II and glucose in cultured vascular smooth muscle cells

Glucose transport in response to angiotensin II (AII) was assessed in cultured vascular smooth muscle (VSM) cells by measuring the uptake of [³H]-2-deoxyglucose, a radiolabeled non-metabolizable glucose analog. Significant stimulation occurred by 2 hr of exposure with the maximum effect being observed between 6 and 8 hr. AII effects were concentration dependent with a threshold response being detected at 0.1 nM. AII-stimulated transport was blocked by saralasin, an AII receptor antagonist, indicating that AII binding to a specific receptor is required for AII to elicit the transport response. AII-stimulated transport was also blocked when cells were incubated with cycloheximide for 6 hr, suggesting that protein synthesis is required for the long-term effects of AII on glucose transport. A specific protein synthesized in response to AII stimulation was the GLUT 1 glucose transporter as assessed by western blot analysis. Inhibition of protein kinase C (PKC) by bisindolylmaleimide and staurosporine did not affect VSM responsiveness to AII, suggesting that AII is capable of stimulating glucose transport through a PKC-independent mechanism; however, VSM responsiveness to AII did appear to be dependent upon the presence of extracellular calcium. The importance of calmodulin in mediating the response of VSM cells to AII was indicated by the inhibition of AII-stimulated glucose transport when VSM cells were incubated in the presence of the calmodulin inhibitors, calmidazolium and W7. Finally, glucose uptake increased with decreasing levels of glucose in the incubation medium. This was accompanied by a corresponding decrease in the relative effectiveness of AII in stimulating glucose uptake. J. Cell. Physiol. 177:94–102, 1998. © 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.