The di-peptide Trp-His (WH) has vasorelaxant and anti-atherosclerotic functions. We hypothesized that WH has multiple biological functions and may aid AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activation and affect the glucose transport system in skeletal muscle. First, we examined whether WH or His-Trp (HW) can activate AMPKα. Treatment of L6 myotubes with WH or HW significantly increased phosphoryl...

To clarify the function of the Na(+)-coupled glucose transporter in the regulation of cellular tone of cultured retinal pericytes, we investigated the effects of extracellular glucose concentration on cell size. The surface area and diameter of cultured bovine retinal pericytes under different glucose concentrations were measured by using a light microscope with a digital camera. We also examin...

BY C A L L U M LIVINGSTONE, F I O N A J . T H O M S O N , M A R G A R E T I . A R B U C K L E , I A N W. CAMPBELL, THOMAS J . JESS , SUSAN K A N E , COLIN MOYES, LISA M. P O R T E R , J A C Q U E L I N E E . R I C E , M I C H A E L J . S E A T T E R A N D GWYN W. G O U L D Division of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Biomedical and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G...

The gene encoding the human erythrocyte glucose transporter, cloned from HepG2 hepatoma cells, was expressed in Escherichia coli by introducing a prokaryote-type ribosome binding site, subcloning the gene into the T7 promoter/T7 polymerase expression system, and transforming a strain that is defective in glucose transport. Cells bearing plasmids with the transporter gene take up 2-deoxy-D-gluco...