CYTOKINE-INDUCED CHANGES IN GLUCOSE UPTAKE AND PYRUVATE KINASE ACTIVITY IN ORGANOTYPIC CULTURES
A.V. Shkuropat1, V.A. Shvets1, I.V. Golovchenkо1, O.M. Hasiuk1
- Kherson State University
DOI: https://doi.org/10.15407/fz71.04.022

Abstract
Glucose uptake is regulated by the activity of glucose trans-
porters (GLUT), which are influenced by various factors. The
effects of interleukin-2 (IL-2) on glucose uptake remain con-
troversial, while erythropoietin is known for its anti-apoptotic
properties and glucose-lowering effects. This study aimed to
evaluate the impact of IL-2 and erythropoietin on glucose up-
take and pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2) activity in organotypic
cultures of brain, liver, and skeletal muscle. Organotypic cul-
tures were prepared from white laboratory mice and incubated
with IL-2 (5000 and 7500 IU/ml), erythropoietin (13, 6.5, and
1.3 IU/ml), or left untreated (control). Among all tissues, liver
cultures exhibited the lowest glucose uptake. IL-2 increased
glucose uptake in all culture types, while erythropoietin en-
hanced uptake only in skeletal muscle cultures. PKM2 activity
was cytokine- and tissue-dependent: low-dose IL-2 elevated
PKM2 activity in liver and skeletal muscle cultures, whereas
high-dose erythropoietin reduced PKM2 activity in skeletal
muscle. These findings suggest that erythropoietin may activate
GLUT4 in skeletal muscle, while IL-2 may act via GLUT1
across all tissue types, possibly involving other mechanisms.
The observed increase in PKM2 activity under IL-2 stimula-
tion may indicate a shift toward aerobic metabolism, while
erythropoietin-induced decreases in PKM2 activity may reflect
a shift toward glycolytic pathway.
Keywords:
interleukin-2; erythropoietin; cytokines; organotypic cultures; liver; skeletal muscles; brain; glucose absorption intensity; PKM2; glucose transporter; GLUT
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