Apelin stimulates glucose uptake but not lipolysis in human adipose tissue ex vivo

Apelin is a peptide present in different cell types and secreted by adipocytes in humans and rodents. Apelin exerts its effects through a G-protein coupled receptor called APJ. During the last years, a role of apelin/APJ in energy metabolism has emerged. Apelin was shown to stimulate glucose uptake in skeletal muscle through an AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK)-dependent pathway in mice. So far, no metabolic effects of apelin have been reported on human adipose tissue (AT). Thus, the effect of apelin on AMPK in AT was measured as well as AMPK-mediated effects such as inhibition of lipolysis and stimulation of glucose uptake. AMPK and Acetyl-CoA Carboxylase phosphorylation were measured by western blot to reflect AMPK activity. Lipolysis and glucose uptake were measured, ex vivo, in response to apelin on isolated adipocytes and explants from AT of the subcutaneous region of healthy subjects (BMI: 25.6 ± 0.8 kg/m2, n = 30 in total). APJ mRNA and protein were present in human AT and isolated adipocytes. Apelin stimulated AMPK phosphorylation at Thr-172 in a dose-dependent manner in human AT which was associated to increased glucose uptake since, C Compound (20 μM), an AMPK inhibitor, completely prevented apelin-induced glucose uptake. However, in isolated adipocytes or AT explants, apelin had no significant effect on basal and isoprenaline-stimulated lipolysis. Thus, these results reveal, for the first time, that apelin is able to act on human AT in order to stimulate AMPK and glucose uptake.