Impaired IRS-1/PI3-kinase signaling in patients with HCV: a mechanism for increased prevalence of type 2 diabetes

Hepatology. 2003 Dec;38(6):1384-92. doi: 10.1016/j.hep.2003.09.012.

Abstract

Patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection have a greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus. However, the mechanism of this association is unclear. In this study, we examined the potential defects in upstream insulin signaling pathways in liver specimens obtained from nonobese/nondiabetic subjects with HCV infection. Fasting liver biopsy specimens were obtained from 42 HCV-infected subjects and 10 non-HCV-infected subjects matched for age and body mass index. Liver tissues were exposed to insulin and examined for the contents and phosphorylation/activation status of the upstream insulin signaling molecules by immunoprecipitation and Western blot analysis. HCV infection resulted in a trend toward a 2-fold to 3-fold increase in insulin receptor (IR) and insulin receptor substrate (IRS)-1 contents when compared with non-HCV. In contrast, insulin-stimulated IRS-1 tyrosine phosphorylation was decreased by 2-fold in HCV-infected subjects compared with non-HCV-infected subjects (P <.05). The observed reductions in IRS-1 tyrosine phosphorylation were accompanied by a 3.4-fold decrease in IRS-1/p85 phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3-kinase) association and a 2.5-fold decrease in IRS-1-associated PI3-kinase enzymatic activity (P <.05 vs. non-HCV). This was accompanied by a marked reduction in insulin-stimulated Akt phosphorylation without any alterations in mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) phosphorylation. Cellular contents of the hepatic p85 subunit of PI3-kinase were comparable between HCV-infected and non-HCV-infected subjects. In conclusion, we found that (1). HCV infection leads to a postreceptor defect in IRS-1 association with the IR and (2). insulin signaling defects in hepatic IRS-1 tyrosine phosphorylation and PI3-kinase association/activation may contribute to insulin resistance, which leads to the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus in patients with HCV infection.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / epidemiology*
  • Female
  • Hepatitis C / complications*
  • Hepatitis C / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Insulin / pharmacology
  • Insulin Receptor Substrate Proteins
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / metabolism
  • Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / physiology*
  • Phosphoproteins / physiology*
  • Phosphorylation
  • Prevalence
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases*
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins / metabolism
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt
  • Signal Transduction / physiology*
  • Tyrosine / metabolism

Substances

  • IRS1 protein, human
  • Insulin
  • Insulin Receptor Substrate Proteins
  • Phosphoproteins
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins
  • Tyrosine
  • AKT1 protein, human
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt
  • Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases