AKT1 and diabetes mellitus: These data are consistent with the results of an in vivo study by Wang et al., in which probiotics could protect β-cells against apoptosis by up-regulating the expression of anti-apoptotic proteins and the PI3K/Akt signaling cascade, and down-regulating the expression of inflammatory factors and pro-apoptotic proteins.101 In line with this concept, a recent in vitro study by Huang et al. looked at the relation between surface components of probiotics and the Akt/mTOR pathway and its inverse association during diabetes onset.