CAPE (caffeic acid phenethyl ester) stimulates glucose uptake through AMPK (AMP-activated protein kinase) activation in skeletal muscle cells

Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2007 Oct 5;361(4):854-8. doi: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2007.07.068. Epub 2007 Jul 24.

Abstract

Caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE), a flavonoid-like compound, is one of the major components of honeybee propolis. In the present study, we investigated the metabolic effects of CAPE in skeletal muscle cells and found that CAPE stimulated glucose uptake in differentiated L6 rat myoblast cells and also activated AMPK (AMP-activated protein kinase). In addition, the inhibition of AMPK blocked CAPE-induced glucose uptake, and CAPE activated the Akt pathway in a PI3K (phosphoinositide 3-kinase)-dependent manner. Furthermore, CAPE enhanced both insulin-mediated Akt activation and glucose uptake. In summary, our results suggest that CAPE may have beneficial roles in glucose metabolism via stimulation of the AMPK pathway.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • AMP-Activated Protein Kinases
  • Animals
  • Biological Transport / drug effects
  • Caffeic Acids / pharmacology*
  • Cell Differentiation
  • Cell Line
  • Enzyme Activation
  • Glucose / metabolism*
  • Multienzyme Complexes / metabolism*
  • Muscle Fibers, Skeletal / drug effects
  • Muscle Fibers, Skeletal / enzymology*
  • Muscle Fibers, Skeletal / metabolism
  • Myoblasts / cytology
  • Phenylethyl Alcohol / analogs & derivatives*
  • Phenylethyl Alcohol / pharmacology
  • Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / metabolism
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / metabolism*
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / metabolism
  • Rats

Substances

  • Caffeic Acids
  • Multienzyme Complexes
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt
  • AMP-Activated Protein Kinases
  • caffeic acid phenethyl ester
  • Glucose
  • Phenylethyl Alcohol