Regulation of skeletal muscle glucose metabolism by glucocorticoids

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Skeletal muscle is a very metabolically active tissue and accounts for the vast majority of peripheral blood sugar disposal. The movement of blood sugar, or glucose, into skeletal muscle is caused by insulin and insulin independent pathways such as muscle contactions. Glucocorticoids are a class of hormones that are produced in the adrenal cortex. In addition to possessing strong anti-inflammatory properties these agents also alter skeletal muscle glucose metabolism. The overall goal of my research program is to understand how glucocorticoids mediate this effect and to determine if oxidative stress is an underlying mechanism. Using rodent models we propose to determine if both insulin and contraction stimulated glucose uptake is impaired by glucocorticoids, what specific biochemical steps are altered, the effects of glucocorticoids on genes involved in these process and if antioxidant treatment can prevent these changes. The information from these studies will increase our fundamental understanding of skeletal muscle fuel metabolism, the mechanisms of action of glucocorticoids and the role of oxidative stress in these processes.