Reduced glycogen availability is associated with increased AMPK2 activity, nuclear AMPK2 protein abundance, and GLUT4 mRNA expression in contracting human skeletal muscle

Glycogen availability can influence glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) expression in skeletal muscle through unknown mechanisms. The multisubstrate enzyme AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) has also been shown to play an important role in the regulation of GLUT4 expression in skeletal muscle. During contraction, AMPK alpha2 translocates to the nucleus and the activity of this AMPK isoform is enhanced when skeletal muscle glycogen is low. In this study, we investigated if decreased pre-exercise muscle glycogen levels and increased AMPK alpha2 activity reduced the association of AMPK with glycogen and increased AMPK alpha2 translocation to the nucleus and GLUT4 mRNA expression following exercise. Seven males performed 60 min of exercise at approximately 70% VO(2) (peak) on 2 occasions: either with normal (control) or low (LG) carbohydrate pre-exercise muscle glycogen content. Muscle samples were obtained by needle biopsy before and after exercise. Low muscle glycogen was associated with elevated AMPK alpha2 activity and acetyl-CoA carboxylase beta phosphorylation, increased translocation of AMPK alpha2 to the nucleus, and increased GLUT4 mRNA. Transfection of primary human myotubes with a constitutively active AMPK adenovirus also stimulated GLUT4 mRNA, providing direct evidence of a role of AMPK in regulating GLUT4 expression. We suggest that increased activation of AMPK alpha2 under conditions of low muscle glycogen enhances AMPK alpha2 nuclear translocation and increases GLUT4 mRNA expression in response to exercise in human skeletal muscle.