Insulin aggregation in solution

The process of insulin aggregation in neutral solutions was studied by dynamic light scattering. Solutions of different concentrations were subjected to thermal and mechanical stress (37 degrees, rotation) for a period of 4 weeks. The starting solutions contained exclusively one particle distribution of insulin in the association equilibrium with hexamers as the largest structures. After a lag period of about 8 days the solutions showed continuously increasing scattering intensities but did not evolve perceptible turbidity within the experimental period. A more rapid increase in scattering intensity was observed in diluted than in concentrated solutions. The analysis of scattering data unexpectedly revealed that insulin species did not grow continuously. After the lag period one additional relatively restricted size distribution with particles of a mean radius of about 100 nm was found, the amount of which increased continuously with time. The occurrence of these particles seems to be related to adsorption phenomena of insulin to the solid interface. We assume the 100 nm-class of aggregates to be a transient state in the physical destabilization process of insulin solutions.