Postmenopausal high-gonadotropin-releasing hormone environment mediates pancreatic β-cell compensation via the cAMP-PKA-PDX1 pathway

Figure 4 Overexpression of gonadotropin-releasing hormone receptor sensitizes β-cells to gonadorelin-induced signaling. A-C: Verification of gonadotropin-releasing hormone receptor (GnRHR) overexpression at the protein level following transfection with the plasmid cytomegalovirus-GnRHR plasmid in MIN6 cells; D-I: Representative immunoblots and corresponding densitometric analysis revealing the augmented phosphorylation of PKA and CREB, as well as the increased expression of PDX1, in GnRHR-overexpressing cells compared to empty vector controls upon gonadorelin stimulation. Data are expressed as the mean ± SEM (n = 3 independent biological replicates). ^aP < 0.05, ^bP < 0.01, ^cP < 0.001, and ^dP < 0.0001. pCMV: Plasmid cytomegalovirus; GnRHR: Gonadotropin-releasing hormone receptor.