Peptide-chain initiation is inhibited in fast-twitch skeletal muscle, but not heart, of diabetic rats. We have investigated mechanisms that might maintain eukaryotic initiation factor (eIF)-2B activity, preventing loss of efficiency of protein synthesis in heart of diabetic rats but not in fast-twitch skeletal muscle. There was no change in the amount or phosphorylation state of eIF-2 in skeletal or cardiac muscle during diabetes. In contrast, eIF-2B activity was decreased in fast-twitch but not slow-twitch muscle from diabetic animals. NADP+ inhibited partially purified eIF-2B in vitro, but addition of equimolar NADPH reversed the inhibition. The NADPH-to-NADP+ ratio was unchanged in fast-twitch muscle after induction of diabetes but was increased in heart of diabetic rats, suggesting that NADPH also prevents inhibition of eIF-2B in vivo. The activity of casein kinase II, which can phosphorylate and activate eIF-2B in vitro, was significantly lower in extracts of fast-twitch, but not cardiac muscle, of diabetic rats compared with controls. The results presented here demonstrate that changes in eIF-2 alpha phosphorylation are not responsible for the effect of diabetes on eIF-2B activity in fast-twitch skeletal muscle. Modulation of casein kinase II activity may be a factor in the regulation of protein synthesis in muscle during acute diabetes. The activity of eIF-2B in heart might be maintained by the increased NADPH/NADP+.