Research Paper Volume 10, Issue 10 pp 2772—2782
Autophagy of macrophages is regulated by PI3k/Akt/mTOR signalling in the development of diabetic encephalopathy
- 1 Department of Gerontology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People’s Hospital, Shanghai 200233, China
- 2 Department of Priority Ward, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People’s Hospital, Shanghai 200233, China
Received: August 15, 2018 Accepted: September 26, 2018 Published: October 22, 2018
https://doi.org/10.18632/aging.101586How to Cite
Abstract
The development of diabetic encephalopathy (DE) is enhanced by inflammatory macrophages, and is suppressed by macrophage autophagy. However, the molecular signaling that controls macrophage autophagy in DE remains ill-defined. Here, DE is induced in rats that received intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (STZ). In macrophages isolated from the brain of the rats, we detected downregulated autophagy activity and enhanced PI3k/Akt/mTOR/S6K1 signaling. In order to examine the role of autophagy and PI3k/Akt/mTOR signaling in DE development, an mTOR inhibitor, rapamycin, or an autophagy inhibitor, chloroquine (CQ), were administered to the rats that that received STZ. We found that rapamycin significantly enhanced DE development through mTOR suppression-induced augmentation of macrophage autophagy, while CQ significantly decreased DE development through suppression of macrophage autophagy. Together, our data suggest that PI3k/Akt/mTOR signaling may promote the development of DE through suppression of macrophage autophagy.