Insulin, insulin-like growth factor-I, and platelet-derived growth factor activate extracellular signal-regulated kinase by distinct pathways in muscle cells

We have investigated the signaling pathways initiated by insulin, insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-I), and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) leading to activation of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) in L6 myotubes. Insulin but not IGF-I or PDGF-induced ERK activation was abrogated by Ras inhibition, either by treatment with the farnesyl transferase inhibitor FTP III, or by actin disassembly by cytochalasin D, previously shown to inhibit Ras activation. The protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor bisindolylmaleimide abolished PDGF but not IGF-I or insulin-induced ERK activation. ERK activation by insulin, IGF-I, or PDGF was unaffected by the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase inhibitor wortmannin but was abolished by the MEK inhibitor PD98059. In contrast, activation of the pathway involving phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3k), protein kinase B, and glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK3) was mediated similarly by all three receptors, through a PI 3-kinase-dependent but Ras- and actin-independent pathway. We conclude that ERK activation is mediated by distinct pathways including: (i) a cytoskeleton- and Ras-dependent, PKC-independent, pathway utilized by insulin, (ii) a PKC-dependent, cytoskeleton- and Ras-independent pathway used by PDGF, and (iii) a cytoskeleton-, Ras-, and PKC-independent pathway utilized by IGF-I.     

Multifunctional actions of vanadium compounds on insulin signaling pathways: Evidence for preferential enhancement of metabolic versus mitogenic effects

The pathophysiologic importance of insulin resistance in diseases such as obesity and diabetes mellitus has led to great interest in defining the mechanism of insulin action as well as the means to overcome the biochemical defects responsible for the resistance. Vanadium compounds have been discovered to mimic many of the metabolic actions of insulin both in vitro and in vivo and improve glycemic control in human subjects with diabetes mellitus. Apart from its direct insulinmimetic actions, we found that vanadate modulates insulin metabolic effects by enhancing insulin sensitivity and prolonging insulin action. All of these actions appear to be related to protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTP) inhibition. However, in contrast to its stimulatory effects, vanadate inhibits basal and insulin-stimulated system A amino acid uptake and cell proliferation. The mechanism of these actions also appears to be related to PTP inhibition, consistent with the multiple roles of PTPs in regulating signal transduction. While the precise biochemical pathway of vanadate action is not yet known, it is clearly different from that of insulin in that the insulin receptor and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase do not seem to be essential for vanadate stimulation of glucose uptake and metabolism. The ability of vanadium compounds to bypass defects in insulin action in diseases characterized by insulin resistance and their apparent preferential metabolic versus mitogenic signaling profile make them attractive as potential pharmacological agents.