Distribution of insulin receptors in human erythrocyte membranes. Insulin binding to sealed right-side-out and inside-out human erythrocyte vesicles

Amyloid insulin interaction with erythrocytes

Erythrocyte membrane interactions with insulin fibrils (amyloid) have been investigated using centrifugation, fluorescence spectroscopy, light scattering, and flow cytometric techniques. The results indicate that insulin fibrils are having moderate affinity to erythrocyte membrane. However, analysis of the apparent dissociation constants of human erythrocyte membranes (leaky and resealed vesicles) with amyloid insulin reveal that the insulin binding is drastically reduced on attaining the fibrillar state compared with native insulin. To understand the role of insulin receptors on erythrocytes binding to amyloid, we have studied the interaction of biotinylated forms of denatured and amyloidic insulin with erythrocytes. FITC-streptavidin was used as a counter staining in flow cytometry measurements. We found that insulin fibrils bind 10 times more with erythrocyte membranes than with amylin and denatured insulin.

Red blood cell insulin receptors in health and disease

CONTENTS

Structure and characteristics of erythrocyte insulin receptor. Red blood cell age and insulin receptors. Insulin receptors in human disease states. Obesity. Chronic renal failure. Acanthosis nigricans. Miscellaneous disease states. Insulin receptors in children. Insulin receptors in women during pregnancy. Insulin binding and other hormones. Comparison of biosynthetic insulin, pancreatic human insulin and porcine insulin binding to erythrocytes. Effect of exercise on insulin binding to red blood cells of normal human volunteers. Miscellaneous insulin binding studies. Insulin internalization and degradation. Insulin and erythrocyte metabolism. Summary and conclusion.

Insulin-induced hyperpolarization in mammalian skeletal muscle

Insulin-induced hyperpolarization of up to 9 mV has been described in isolated frog [J. Physiol. Lond. 252: 43-58, 1975; Am. J. Physiol. 251 (Cell Physiol. 4): C249-C254, 1979] and mammalian (Molecular Basis of Insulin Action, New York: Plenum, 1985, p. 451-463; Am. J. Physiol. 197: 524-526, 1959; Am. J. Physiol. 198: 1066-1070, 1960) skeletal muscle. We have shown that a similar hyperpolarization occurs in situ after administration of insulin in anesthetized rats. In streptozotocin (STZ)-treated rats, insulin produced approximately 66-70% of the hyperpolarization observed in normal rat skeletal muscle in situ. Administration of ouabain in situ blocked the insulin-induced hyperpolarization in the normal group of rats and significantly blunted the effect in the STZ group. These results suggest that insulin-induced hyperpolarization in skeletal muscle results from direct activation of the Na+-K+-ATPase pump. In isolated skeletal muscle from normal and STZ rats, there was no difference in the amount of the insulin-induced hyperpolarization. There was an additive, but small, hyperpolarizing effect of insulin and isoproterenol when administered in combination, suggesting that the greater magnitude of the insulin-induced hyperpolarization observed in situ in normal rats may be due to an additive effect of injected insulin and endogenous release of epinephrine. Alternatively, STZ treatment may directly alter the Na+-K+ pump so that its response to insulin is lessened.

In vitro insulin effect on acetylcholine esterase of erythrocyte membranes of normal and diabetic rats

Alloxan induced diabetes in rats was associated with a significant reduction in the acetylcholine esterase activity of the erythrocyte membrane. Preincubation of these membranes with insulin caused a rapid but transient stimulation of this enzyme activity in both normal and diabetic rats, the effect being more marked in the latter group.