title: Chronic inhibition of mammalian target of rapamycin signaling downregulates insulin receptor substrates 1 and 2 and AKT activation: A crossroad between cancer and diabetes?
abstract: Overactivation of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) branch downstream of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-AKT pathway critically modulates insulin and growth factor signaling by insulin receptor substrates (IRS). On the basis of in vitro studies, the mTOR inhibitor rapamycin has been reported to lead to enhanced activation of AKT by relieving this feedback inhibition on IRS function. In view of the critical role of AKT in insulin signaling and tumorigenesis, the in vivo expression and activation of this kinase and of IRS-1 and IRS-2 were explored in PBMC of 30 patients who were treated long term with rapamycin. A marked decrease of basal and insulin-stimulated AKT phosphorylation, which correlated with the increase of patients' insulin resistance, and a significant increase of IRS total protein expression, together with a lower (IRS-2) or absent (IRS-1) increase of insulin-induced tyrosine phosphorylation, were found. Therefore, contrary to the expectations, long-term exposure to rapamycin caused the impairment of IRS signaling and AKT activation, and this would help to explain the antiproliferative effect and the possible deterioration of glucose metabolism that are observed in rapamycin-treated patients. These findings may form a novel basis for improved understanding of the role of mTOR inhibition in human diseases, such as diabetes and cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency and Organ Transplants, Division of Nephrology, Dialysis and Transplantation, University of Bari, Policlinico, Bari, Italy. s.dipaolo@nephro.uniba.it
authors.forename: Salvatore
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Di Paolo
authors.forename: Annalisa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Teutonico
authors.forename: Domenica
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Leogrande
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Capobianco
authors.forename: Paolo F
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Schena
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism; D015536:Down-Regulation; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D055504:Insulin Receptor Substrate Proteins; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008954:Models, Biological; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism; D010750:Phosphoproteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects; D020123:Sirolimus / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: C526292:IRS1 protein, human; C526297:IRS2 protein, human; D055504:Insulin Receptor Substrate Proteins; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D010750:Phosphoproteins; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D020123:Sirolimus