Expression of insulin receptor substrates 1-3, glucose transporters GLUT-1-4, signal regulatory protein 1alpha, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and protein kinase B at the protein level in the human testis.

Insulin receptor substrates (IRS) mediate the biological actions of insulin, growth factors and cytokines. This action is via receptor-mediated tyrosine phosphorylation of IRS proteins. The aim of present study was to demonstrate the distribution of IRS-1-3, the glucose transporter class I subfamily (GLUT-1-4), signal regulatory protein 1alpha (SIRP1alpha), protein kinase B (PKB) and phosphatidylinositol kinase (PI3-K) in the human testis to determine whether signal transduction mediated by these proteins is active in testicular cells. In the present study, the expression of IRS-1-3, GLUT-1-4, SIRP1alpha, P13-K and PKB was studied in the human testis at the protein level using immunohistochemistry and western blotting. A positive immunoreaction for IRS-1 was found in the human testis in peritubular myoid cells and macrophage-like interstitial cells. A positive immunoreaction for GLUT-3 was found in the human testis in Sertoli cells, peritubular myoid cells, early spermatocytes, macrophage-like interstitial cells and cells in the small vessels walls. Western blotting demonstrated IRS-1, IRS-2 and GLUT-3 proteins in the human testis. Expression of IRS-3, GLUT-1, GLUT-2, GLUT-4, SIRP1alpha, P13-K and PKB was not detected in the human testis. The results of the present study suggest that proteins like insulin and certain cytokines using IRS-1, IRS-2 and GLUT-3 in their signal transduction pathways can have effects on different cell types of the testis in humans.