Figure 3

Intrathecal insulin-induced Akt activation is blunted in the PNS of ob/ob mice. DRG (A) and sciatic nerve (B) were harvested after an intrathecal injection of PBS (nondiabetic n = 10, ob/ob n = 7) or insulin (nondiabetic n = 10, ob/ob n = 9) was administered to nondiabetic control and ob/ob mice. Nondiabetic mice displayed a robust and significant increase in Akt activation with insulin stimulation; however insulin failed to significantly activate Akt in the DRG of ob/ob mice. Furthermore, the maximal increase in Akt activation with insulin stimulation was significantly lower in both the DRG and sciatic nerve of ob/ob mice. There were no differences in mice that received PBS in either the DRG or sciatic nerve. * = p < 0.05, *** = p < 0.001.