Abstract：Abstract: Objective Warburg observed that rapid growing tumor cells manifest an increase in glucose uptake, an enhancement of glycolytic capacity and a high lactate production, along with the absence of respiration despite the presence of high oxygen concentration, a phenomenon known as the ''Warburg effect''. This paper outlined Akt's family members, protein structure and cellular functions, but mainly focused on its physiological functions in the regulation of glucose uptake and metabolism in mitochondria, addressed the metabolic phenotypes of tumor and proliferating normal cells and the role of Akt in the glucose metabolism of cancer cells. Methods Using Akt, cancer and glucose as key words, we searched, reviewed the literatures in pubmed and recruited related data. Results Akt, a key effector downstream of insulin and growth factor receptor signaling networks and one of the most common alterations detected in spontaneous human tumors, profoundly involved in the regulation of cell survival, cell growth, cell metabolism and oncogenesis.Conclusions Akt plays an important role in cancer cell metabolic adaptations and oncogene-directed metabolic reprogramming required for supporting an anabolic tumor growth. Altered Akt activation may lead to enhanced glucose uptake and glycolysis in tumor cells. Growth factor receptor signaling pathways, such as Akt signaling pathway, and certain transcription factor networks participate in a major reorganization of metabolic activities into a platform that support the bioenergetics and biosynthetic demands of a proliferating tumor cell to duplicate itself, and to survive fluctuations in external nutrient and oxygen availability during tumor growth.
2014, Vol. 1 
