SLC2A4 and diabetes mellitus: These alterations were further confirmed at the protein level by western blot (Fig. 5B,C); PNS prevented the diabetes‐induced down‐regulation of the expression of the IRS1–PI3K–AKT signaling pathway components p‐IRS1, p‐PI3Kp85, p‐AKT and GLUT4, while the total AKT remained unchanged.