Heterogeneous response of isolated adult rat heart cells to insulin

3-O-Methylglucose uptake by Ca2+-resistant adult rat heart cells in suspension was measured, free of artifactual inhibitor-insensitive uptake, and with an accuracy of +/- 1.9% pellet water. (Ca2+-resistant cells are cells which retain their original rod-shaped morphology in the presence of physiological levels of Ca2+.) High levels of insulin (10(-6) M) stimulated the rate of 3-O-methylglucose uptake approximately 10-fold. In the presence of low levels of insulin (3 X 10(-11) M, 10(-10) M) uptake was biphasic; it could not be described by a single exponential function within experimental error, but required the sum of two exponentials. Deviation from a single exponential function was not so great with high levels of insulin (10(-6) M) or no insulin. Cell sugar uptake was also investigated using autoradiography of cells which had accumulated [2-14C]deoxyglucose under similar conditions. This showed considerable heterogeneity of 2-deoxyglucose uptake by cells treated with low levels of insulin, but significantly less heterogeneity of 2-deoxyglucose uptake by cells treated with high levels of insulin. It is concluded that the deviation of 3-O-methylglucose uptake from a single exponential observed at low insulin levels can be accounted for in terms of a heterogeneous response of cells to insulin.