The expression of GLUT-1 (erythroid/Hep G2) and GLUT-4 (muscle/fat) glucose transporters was assessed during development in rat heart, skeletal muscle, and brown adipose tissue. GLUT-4 protein expression was detectable in fetal heart by day 21 of pregnancy; it increased progressively after birth, attaining levels close to those of adults at day 15 post natal. In contrast, GLUT-4 messenger RNA (mRNA) was already present in hearts from 17 day-old fetuses. GLUT-4 mRNA stayed low during early postnatal life in heart and brown adipose tissue and only increased after day 10 post natal. The expression pattern for GLUT-4 protein in skeletal muscle during development was comparable to that observed in heart. In contrast to heart and skeletal muscle, GLUT-4 protein in brown adipose tissue was detected in high levels (30% of adult) during late fetal life. During fetal life, GLUT-1 presented a very high expression level in brown adipose tissue, heart, and skeletal muscle. Soon after birth, GLUT-1 protein diminished progressively, attaining adult levels at day 10 in heart and skeletal muscle. GLUT-1 mRNA levels in heart followed a similar pattern to the GLUT-1 protein, being very high during fetal life and decreasing early in post natal life. GLUT-1 protein showed a complex pattern in brown adipose tissue: fetal levels were high, decreased after birth, and increased subsequently in post natal life, reaching a peak by day 9. Progesterone-induced postmaturity protected against the decrease in GLUT-1 protein associated with post natal life in skeletal muscle and brown adipose tissue. However, GLUT-4 induction was not blocked by postmaturity in any of the tissues subjected to study. These results indicate that: 1) during fetal and early post natal life, GLUT-1 is a predominant glucose transporter isotype expressed in heart, skeletal muscle, and brown adipose tissue; 2) during early post natal life there is a generalized GLUT-1 repression; 3) during development, there is a close correlation between protein and mRNA levels for GLUT-1, and therefore regulation at a pretranslational level plays a major regulatory role; 4) the onset of GLUT-4 protein induction occurs between days 20-21 of fetal life; based on data obtained in rat heart and brown adipose tissue, there is a dissociation during development between mRNA and protein levels for GLUT-4, suggesting modifications at translational or posttranslational steps; and 5) postmaturity blocks the decrease in GLUT-1 expression but not the induction of GLUT-4, observed soon after birth.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)