Insulin down-regulates the Na+/K+ ATPase in enterocytes but increases intestinal glucose absorption

The effect of insulin on [14C] 3-O-methyl-d-glucose (3OMG) absorption in the rat jejunum was studied using an in situ perfusion technique. Insulin increased apical glucose entry into the cells and decreased intestinal retention suggesting that serosal glucose transport was enhanced by the hormone. This enhanced uptake was ascribed to an increase in the expression of glucose transporters as confirmed by Western blot analysis and not to a higher sodium gradient, since insulin reduced the activity and protein expression of the Na+/K+ ATPase. To separate the glycemic from the insulinemic effect on glucose transport, the effect of the hormone was investigated in vitro using cultured Caco-2 cells. The cells also showed an increase in [14C] 3OMG uptake and intracellular glucose levels when treated with insulin and a lower Na+/K+ ATPase activity. Phloretin, an inhibitor of GLUT2 was used to determine if these transporters are targeted by the hormone. The results showed that the effect of insulin on glucose uptake and intracellular glucose was still enhanced in presence of phloretin. Considering the inhibitory effect of the hormone on the Na+/K+ ATPase, it was concluded that insulin acts by increasing the number of glucose transporters, a hypothesis that was confirmed by Western blot analysis.