title: Participation of prolactin receptors and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and MAP kinase pathways in the increase in pancreatic islet mass and sensitivity to glucose during pregnancy.
abstract: Prolactin (PRL) exerts its biological effects mainly by activating the Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription 5 (JAK/STAT5) signaling pathway. We have recently demonstrated that PRL also stimulates the insulin receptor substrates/phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (IRSs/PI3K) and SH2-plekstrin homology domain (SHC)/ERK pathways in islets of neonatal rats. In the present study, we investigated the involvement of the PI3K and MAP kinase (MAPK) cascades in islet development and growth in pregnant rats. The protein expression of AKT1, p70S6K and SHC was higher in islets from pregnant compared with control rats. Higher basal levels of tyrosine phosphorylation were found in classic transducers of insulin cell signaling (IRS1, IRS2 and SHC). Increased levels of threonine/tyrosine phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and serine phosphorylation of AKT and p70S6K were also detected. To assess the participation of PRL in these phenomena, pregnant and control rats were treated with an antisense oligonucleotide to reduce the expression of the PRL receptor (PRLR). Phosphorylation of AKT was reduced in islets from pregnant and control rats, whereas p70S6K protein levels were reduced only in islets from treated pregnant rats. Finally, glucose-induced insulin secretion was reduced in islets from pregnant but not from control rats treated with the PRLR antisense oligonucleotide. In conclusion, downstream proteins of the PI3K (AKT and p70S6K) and MAPK (SHC and ERK1/2) cascades are regulated by PRL signaling in islets from pregnant rats. These findings indicate that these pathways participate in the increase in islet mass and the sensitivity to glucose during pregnancy.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Fisiologia e Biofísica, Instituto de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maria E C
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Amaral
authors.forename: Daniel A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Cunha
authors.forename: Gabriel F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Anhê
authors.forename: Mirian
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ueno
authors.forename: Everardo M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Carneiro
authors.forename: Lício A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Velloso
authors.forename: Silvana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bordin
authors.forename: Antonio C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Boschero
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005260:Female; D005947:Glucose / Q000494:pharmacology; D007328:Insulin / Q000378:metabolism; D000078790:Insulin Secretion; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D020935:MAP Kinase Signaling System; D016376:Oligonucleotides, Antisense / Q000494:pharmacology; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011247:Pregnancy; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D011981:Receptors, Prolactin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D038762:Ribosomal Protein S6 Kinases, 70-kDa / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D005947:Glucose; D007328:Insulin; D016376:Oligonucleotides, Antisense; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D011981:Receptors, Prolactin; D038762:Ribosomal Protein S6 Kinases, 70-kDa; C494920:Akt1 protein, rat