AKT1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus: In line with the impaired activation of VEGFR2, a decreased phosphorylation of several downstream effectors of the VEGF pathway including protein kinase B (Akt) (30, 34–36), endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) (40, 43, 44) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) (41) was reported in the ischemic muscle of both T1D and T2D mice.