Publications

Introduction: With growing awareness of the link between diet and health and the problem of obesity, public concern over sugar levels in the diet is forcing a worldwide trend toward cutting down on sugar by using artificial sweeteners (AS). Aim: To study the effect of increasing concentrations of sucra- lose (an AS) on glucose uptake in rat L6 myotubes. Materials and methods: The L6 cell line from American typecell culture (ATCC) was grown in Dulbecco’s Modified Eagle’s Medium (DMEM) and differentiated into myotubes. The wells were exposed to either 0, 1 nM, 1 μM, or 1 mM of sucralose alone or with 10 nM insulin for 24 hours. Glucose uptake was studied after this period. Results: Significant decrease was seen between the insulin- stimulated basal glucose uptake and insulin-stimulated glucose uptake across all the concentrations of sucralose treatment. Conclusion: Increased concentration of sucralose appears to
decrease glucose uptake even on insulin stimulation. Clinical significance: It may not be beneficial to use sucralose in certain groups of people who have insulin resistance or are prone to it. Keywords: Artificial sweetener, Glucose uptake, Sucralose.