Fagopyritol Promote Glucose Uptake in L6 Muscle Cells

Fagopyritols are derivatives of D-chiro-inositol that accumulate in seeds of common buckwheat. This study investigates the effect of fagopyritol on glucose transport by cultured L6 muscle cells. The uptake of 2-deoxyglucose (2DG) by cultured L6 muscle cells is increased by the fagopyritol in a concentrationdependent manner with a maximum effect at 10?² M. Incubation of L6 muscle cells with D-pinitol (10?³ M) increased the basal uptake of 2DG by 3% after 10 min, by 38% after 4 hours, and by 41% after 24 hours. Whereas incubation of L6 muscle cells with fagopyritol (10?³ M) increased the basal uptake of 2DG by 15% after 10 min, by 61% after 4 hours, and by 450% after 24 hours. The effect of fagopyritol was inhibited by the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase inhibitor (LY294,002). Fagopyritol induced the up-regulation of glucose transporter 4 in L6 cells. Taken together, fagopyritol may act via a post-receptor pathway of insulin action affecting glucose uptake.