INS and Insulin resistance: As a downstream serine/threonine kinase, Akt is a critical mediator of the metabolic actions of insulin.9 Akt2 is the predominant isoform in insulin-responsive tissues such as liver, muscle and adipose tissue.10 Impaired Akt signalling has been studied in livers of animal models of insulin resistance, such as ob/ob and lipodystrophic mice.11, 12 Liver-specific disruption of Akt2 has mild effects on glycaemia but more dramatic effects on lipogensis in those obese mice.10, 13