Myricetin attenuates hyperinsulinemia-induced insulin resistance in skeletal muscle cells

Previous studies have shown that hyperinsulinemia is not only a marker of insulin resistance, but also the causative factor of peripheral tissue insulin resistance. It also has been suggested that prolonged high-dose insulin treatment can mimic the effects of hyperinsulinemia and exacerbate insulin resistance in skeletal muscle cells. However, how to prevent or reverse insulin resistance induced by hyperinsulinemia remains largely unclear. In the past few decades, the use of myricetin as an anti-diabetic agent has gained much attention, but little information is available regarding the effects of myricetin on glucose uptake and hyperinsulinemia-induced insulin resistance in skeletal muscle cells. The present study focuses on the effect of myricetin on insulin signaling in skeletal muscle cell line C2C12 myotubes. Initially, the effect of myricetin under normal condition was determined. We found that myricetin’s enhancement in glucose uptake coincided with both protein kinase B (Akt) and AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activities. After that, the role of hyperinsulinemia was investigated. It was showed that prolonged high-dose insulin treatment inhibited both Akt and AMPK activities. As the results, the low-dose insulin stimulation of glucose uptake was inhibited by hyperinsulinemia. However, the treatment of myricetin improved low-dose insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in the hyperinsulinemic state, and this effect essentially depended on the AMPK signal pathway. Together, our data suggest a putative link between hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance in C2C12 myotubes, and the myricetin treatment stimulates glucose uptake and attenuates insulin resistance.