Hepatitis C virus E2 protein involve in insulin resistance through an impairment of Akt/PKB and GSK3β signaling in hepatocytes

Reverse transcription and real-time PCR, Western blot assay, Immunoprecipitation, Glucose uptake assay and analysis of cellular glycogen content.Results showed that E2 influenced on protein levels of insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1) and impaired insulin-induced Ser308 phosphorylation of Akt/PKB and Ser9 phosphorylation of GSK3β in Huh7 cells, leading to an inhibition of glucose uptake and glycogen synthesis, respectively, and eventually insulin resistance.Therefore, HCV E2 protein indeed involved in the pathogenesis of type 2 DM by inducing insulin resistance.