Effects of intravitreal insulin and insulin signaling cascade inhibitors on emmetropization in the chick.

Abstract

Intravitreal insulin promoted axial eye growth and stimulated both signaling pathways. The PI3K/Akt pathway was activated in control and plus and minus lens-treated eyes, but the MEK/ERK pathway was activated only with positive lenses or no lenses. With negative lenses, insulin did not stimulate the MEK/ERK signaling cascade. Independent of the pathway stimulated after insulin binding, the effect on insulin was always the same: an increase in eye growth.