Figure 8.

Autophagy role in metabolic abnormalities acquired during PCOS in various metabolic organs. Autophagy plays a crucial part in governing the metabolic response in affected tissues in PCOS. (A) Adipose tissue: Obesity-driven INS resistance because of adipocyte dysfunction and defaulted INS signaling pathway is suppressed via the induction of autophagy. (B) Ovary: Hyperinsulinemia and hyperandrogenism both share a direct relationship, where INS promotes the expression of steroidogenic enzymes ARK1C3 and CYP17A1. Regulation of autophagy inhibits INS resistance and hyperandrogenemia. (C) Skeletal muscles: Autophagy is attenuated in PCOS via activation of MTOR accounts for INS resistance. (D) Heart: Cardiac autophagy gets halted by decreased autophagy protein level and decreased AMPK phosphorylation responsible for causing hypertrophy in cardiac cells, leading to cardiovascular (CVS) complications. (E) Liver: Decline in turnover of autophagosomes is observed in response to decreased vitamin D level, contributes to liver disease which gets suppressed on autophagy stimulation