Salicylate acutely stimulates 5′-AMP-activated protein kinase and insulin-independent glucose transport in rat skeletal muscles

•Salicylate (SAL) has antidiabetic effects in humans.•Skeletal muscle contributes to whole-body glucose homeostasis.•We found that SAL is acutely taken up into rat skeletal muscles.•We also found that SAL stimulates 5′-AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK).•The beneficial effects of SAL may be mediated by skeletal muscle AMPK. Salicylate (SAL) has been recently implicated in the antidiabetic effect in humans. We assessed whether 5′-AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) in skeletal muscle is involved in the effect of SAL on glucose homeostasis. Rat fast-twitch epitrochlearis and slow-twitch soleus muscles were incubated in buffer containing SAL. Intracellular concentrations of SAL increased rapidly (