Regulatory effect of insulin on the structure, function and metabolism of Na⁺/K⁺‑ATPase (Review)

Abstract

Na⁺/K⁺‑ATPase is an ancient enzyme, the role of which is to maintain Na⁺ and K⁺ gradients across cell membranes, thus preserving intracellular ion homeostasis. The regulation of Na⁺/K⁺‑ATPase is affected by several regulatory factors through a number of pathways, with hormones serving important short‑term and long‑term regulatory functions. Na⁺/K⁺‑ATPase can also be degraded through activation of the ubiquitin proteasome and autophagy‑lysosomal pathways, thereby affecting its abundance and enzymatic activity. As regards the regulatory effect of insulin, it has been found to upregulate the relative abundance of Na⁺/K⁺‑ATPase and restore the transport efficiency in multiple i<em>n vitro</em> and <em>in vivo</em> experiments. Therefore, elucidating the role of insulin in the regulation Na⁺/K⁺‑ATPase may help uncover new drug targets for the treatment of related diseases. The aim of the present study was to review the structure and function of Na⁺/K⁺‑ATPase and to discuss the possible mechanisms through which it may be regulated by insulin, in order to investigate the possibility of designing new therapies for related diseases.

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