AN07 up-regulates insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor (IGF-1R) pathways in normal and methylglyoxal (MG)-treated SH-SY5Y cells. AN07 itself up-regulates IGF-1R expressions (A) and increases phosphorylations of Akt (C) and glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK-3β) (E), and AN07 pre-treatment attenuates MG-induced down-regulation of IGF-1R expression (B) and Akt (D) and GSK3ß (F) phosphorylations in SH-SY5Y cells. SH-SY5Y cells were pre-treated with AN07 (0.01–1.0 μM) for 1 h and then exposed to 600 μM MG for another 24 h. Upper panels, representative immunoblots. Lower panels, densitometry analyses of the relative ratio of protein/β-actin protein, or phosphorylated-protein (p-protein)/total-protein (t-protein), represented as percentages of the control group. Columns, mean ± S.E.M. from at least three independent experiments. * p < 0.05, ** p < 0.01, *** p < 0.001, compared with control or indicated groups.