Abstract:

BACKGROUND: PI3K is a family of enzymes involved in insulin signal transduction pathway, the abnormal expression of which would affect synthesis, secretion, and migration of GLUT4, therefore, results in increased blood sugar, eventually, leads to diabetes.  
OBJECTIVE: To discuss the effects of insulin combined with selenium on PI3K and GLUT4 expression in cellular signal transduction of skeletal muscle in diabetic rats.
METHODS: Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into the control, diabetic, insulin-treated diabetic, selenium-treated diabetic and combination administration groups. All rats were prepared for diabetic models by injecting 50 mg/kg Streptozocin exception of the control group. Rats in the control and diabetic groups were free to food and water; in the insulin treatment group, rats were subcutaneous injected 1 U/(kg•d) insulin. Rats in the selenium treatment group were treated with a dose of 180 µg/kg per day of sodium selenite dissolved in redistilled water by gavage; and in the combination administration were given both treatments for 4 successive weeks. The levels PI3K and GLUT4 in skeletal muscle were estimated using Western blotting and immunohistochemistry techniques.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Immunohistochemistral results were accordance to Western blotting results, which showed the combination of insulin and selenium can remarkable increase the levels of PI3K in skeletal muscle and GLUT4 in skeletal muscle membrane fraction, therefore, enhance the insulin signal transduction pathway.