trans-Cinnamaldehyde stimulates mitochondrial biogenesis through PGC-1α and PPARβ/δ leading to enhanced GLUT4 expression.

Type 2 diabetes is characterized by insulin resistance and chronic hyperglycemia, and is increasing in incidence and severity. This work explored the effects of trans-cinnamaldehyde (CA) on carbohydrate metabolism, mitochondrial content, and related metabolic gene and protein expression in cultured myotubes treated with various concentrations of CA for up to 24 h. CA treatment increased myotube myocyte enhancer factor 2 (MEF2) along with glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) content. CA treatment also significantly increased expression of markers of improved oxidative metabolism including 5' adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator 1 α (PGC-1α), cytochrome c (CytC), as well as peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα) and PPARβ/δ. Despite increased expression of proteins associated with improved oxidative metabolism and glucose uptake, CA-treated myotubes exhibited significantly reduced oxidative metabolism compared with controlled cells. Additionally, CA treatment increased markers of glucose-mediated lipid biosynthesis without elevated PPARγ and sterol receptor element binding protein 1c (SREBP-1c) expression. The ability of CA to stimulate mitochondrial biogenesis and GLUT4 expression suggests CA may offer possible benefits for metabolic disease. However, increases in markers of fatty acid synthesis with simultaneously reduced oxidative metabolism suggest CA may have counterproductive effects for metabolic disease, warranting a need for further investigation.