Effect of BMP-9 Protein in the Insulin Signaling in Hepatic Cells

• Grant number: 10/18236-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: February 01, 2011
• End date: January 31, 2012
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Physiology - Physiology of Organs and Systems
• Principal Investigator: Luciana Chagas Caperuto
• Grantee: Aline Harumi Kudo
• Host Institution: Instituto de Ciências Ambientais, Químicas e Farmacêuticas (ICAQF). Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). Campus Diadema. Diadema , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Insulin resistance is an essential component in the pathophysiology of diseases with high prevalence in the population, as obesity, diabetes mellitus type 2 and plurimetabolic syndrome. The BMPs proteins are a subclass of the superfamily of growth factors and transformation (TGF-beta). Changes in expression of BMPs have already been described in pathologies related to diabetes mellitus. Using a combination of bioinformatic and high-throughput functional analyses, BMP-9 protein was identified as a potential therapeutic target for diabetes mellitus type 2. The search for a hepatic regulator factor of glycemic metabolism remember the studies occurred in the nineteenth century, since evidences observed by Claude Bernard. Our studies about regulation of BMP-9 expression on some insulin resistant animals showed that this hormone presents a complex transcriptional regulation and, possibly, post-transcriptional. It had been already known the fact that the early steps of insulin signaling pathway may be affected by the administration of other substances. A recent work demonstrated the combined functions of endogenous BMP and supplemented FGF in inducing differentiation of hepatocytes from human embryonic stem cells. Therefore, the aim of this project is investigate the effect of BMP-9 protein treatment in hepatic cells culture (HEP G2) in the early steps of insulin signaling.