High insulin requirements and poor metabolic control do not modify the expression, regulation and PKC mediated activation of the p21ras pathway in PBMC from type II diabetic patients.

Aims: To asses whether clinically severe insulin resistance and poor metabolic control in patients with type 11 diabetes are associated with aberrant expression or function of the p21ras pathway.

Methods: We examined the expression and function of the p21ras pathway in resting and activated PBMC from 10 insulin treated patients with type II diabetes characterized by high insulin requirements and poor metabolic control (IR group) and 10 age and sex matched well controlled patients treated by diet alone or oral hypoglycemic medications (WC group).

Results: Levels of p21ras and its regulatory elements: p21rasGAP and hSOS1, were comparable in the two groups. The induced activities of p21ras and its associated down-stream regulatory enzyme MAP-kinase following TPA stimulation were also comparable in the IR and WC patients.

Conclusions: Taken together, these data indicate that clinically significant severe insulin resistance does not modify the expression, regulation and activation of p21ras pathway in PBMC of patients with type II diabetes.