Insulin-induced activation of atypical protein kinase C, but not protein kinase B, is maintained in diabetic (ob/ob and Goto-Kakazaki) liver. Contrasting insulin signaling patterns in liver versus muscle define phenotypes of type 2 diabetic and high fat-induced insulin-resistant states.
Insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes is characterized by defects in muscle glucose uptake and hepatic overproduction of both glucose and lipids. These hepatic defects are perplexing because insulin normally suppresses glucose production and increases lipid synthesis in the liver. To understand the mechanisms for these seemingly paradoxical defects, we examined the activation of atypical protein kinase C (aPKC) and protein kinase B (PKB), two key signaling factors that operate downstream of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and regulate various insulin-sensitive metabolic processes. Livers and muscles of three insulin-resistant rodent models were studied. In livers of type 2 diabetic non-obese Goto-Kakazaki rats and ob/ob-diabetic mice, the activation of PKB was impaired, whereas activation of aPKC was surprisingly maintained. In livers of non-diabetic high fatfed mice, the activation of both aPKC and PKB was maintained. In contrast to the maintenance of aPKC activation in the liver, insulin activation of aPKC was impaired in muscles of Goto-Kakazaki-diabetic rats and ob/ob-diabetic and non-diabetic high fat-fed mice. These findings suggest that, at least in these rodent models, (a) defects in aPKC activation contribute importantly to skeletal muscle insulin resistance observed in both high fat feeding and type 2 diabetes; (b) insulin signaling defects in muscle are not necessarily accompanied by similar defects in liver; (c) defects in hepatic PKB activation occur in association with, and probably contribute importantly to, the development of overt diabetes; and (d) maintenance of hepatic aPKC activation may explain the continued effectiveness of insulin for stimulating certain metabolic actions in the liver.
Standaert
Mary L
ML
Research Service, James A. Haley Veterans Medical Center and Department of Internal Medicine, University of South Florida College of Medicine, Tampa, Florida 33612, USA.
Sajan
Mini P
MP
Miura
Atsushi
A
Kanoh
Yoshinori
Y
Chen
Hubert C
HC
Farese
Robert V
RV
Farese
Robert V
RV
D000818:Animals; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000201:enzymology*; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D007328:Insulin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D055504:Insulin Receptor Substrate Proteins; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008820:Mice, Obese; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000378:metabolism*; D010641:Phenotype; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / Q000502:physiology; D010750:Phosphoproteins / Q000502:physiology; D011493:Protein Kinase C / Q000378:metabolism*; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
D004041:Dietary Fats; D007328:Insulin; D055504:Insulin Receptor Substrate Proteins; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases; D010750:Phosphoproteins; D011493:Protein Kinase C; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; C526295:Irs1 protein, mouse; C526296:Irs1 protein, rat; C526298:Irs2 protein, mouse; C526299:Irs2 protein, rat; C115015:PKC-3 protein