Exercise activates the PI3K-AKT signal pathway by decreasing the expression of 5?-reductase type 1 in PCOS rats.

ABSTRACT: Hyperandrogenism and hyperinsulinemia are main clinical endocrine features of PCOS. Exercise can adjust the androgen level, as well as increase the sensitivity of insulin by activating PI3K-Akt insulin signaling pathways. 5?R1 has certain effects on insulin resistance and can synthesize dihydrotestosterone by metabolizing testosterone. So 5?R1 may be the target of androgen and insulin for exercise-induced regulation. To investigate the role of 5?R1 in the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway in skeletal muscle of PCOS rats activated by exercise, fifty-four female rats were randomly divided into the PCOS group (n?=?42) and the control group(n?=?12). After injection of testosterone propionate for 28 days, the remaining 36 rats in the PCOS group were randomly assigned to six groups: the sedentary group (PS, n?=?6), sedentary and 5?RI (5?-reductase inhibitor) group (PS?+?RI, n?=?6), sedentary and 5?R2I (5?-reductase type 2 selective inhibitor) group (PS?+?R2I, n?=?6), exercise group (PE, n?=?6), exercise and 5?RI group (PE?+?RI, n?=?6), and exercise and 5?R2I group (PE?+?R2I, n?=?6). The rats undergoing exercise were trained to swim for 14 days. Finasteride (5?-reductase type 2 selective inhibitor) and dutasteride (5?-reductase inhibitor) were administered once daily and were dosed based on weight. At the end, the expression of 5?R1 proteins, the phosphorylation level of PI3K and AKT, were determined by Western blot. The PCOS non-exercise group and the PE?+?RI group displayed significantly lower phosphorylation of Akt, PI3K p85 and GLUT4 expression, while in the PE?+?R2I group, the level of Akt phosphorylation and PI3K p85 expression was significantly higher than that of the PCOS non-exercise group and the PE?+?RI group. In summary, our study demonstrated that exercise can activate the PI3K/AKT signal pathway of PCOS rats by decreasing the expression of 5?R1.

SUBMITTER: Wu C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5964186 | biostudies-literature | 2018 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature