Insulin-like growth factor receptors in testicular vascular tissue from normal and diabetic rats

Testicular blood vessels contain IGF-I and IGF-II/M6P receptors. Binding to these receptors was altered following treatment with streptozotocin to induce diabetes. Intensity of labelling and size of receptors were examined using SDS-gel electrophoresis and autoradiography. The IGF-I and IGF-II/M6P receptor of the diabetic rat testicular microvessels appear to have a lower molecular weight as compared to controls. Macro- and microvascular tissues from diabetic rats apparently contain more IGF-I receptors than normal Sprague-Dawley rats. Using immunohistochemical techniques, the IGF-II/M6P receptor appears to dissociate easier from diabetic rat testicular arteries than from control animal blood vessels. M6P appears to increase both IGF-I and IGF-II binding to the rat IGF-II/M6P receptor, at least as visualized using affinity crosslinking analysis. Whether these differences in the IGF receptors are involved in the development of diabetic vascular disease is not yet known.