Binding, degradation, and biological activity of insulin in vascular smooth muscle cells

The interaction of insulin with the vascular smooth muscle was studied using cultures derived from the bovine aortic arch. The cultured cells exhibited specific binding of 125I-insulin that was reversible and dependent on pH. Both insulin and insulinlike growth factor (IGF) I competed for 125I-insulin binding; IGF I, however, was less effective than insulin by at least an order of magnitude. Insulin binding was accompanied by internalization and degradation of the hormone in a temperature- and time-dependent manner. Chloroquine and other lysosomotropic agents elevated the internalized insulin and reduced its degradation. Pre-exposure of cell cultures to insulin resulted in downregulation of cell surface receptors. Insulin stimulated alpha-aminoisobutyric acid transport in confluent smooth muscle cells. The maximal response was observed at 100 ng/ml insulin with a half-maximal effect at 10 ng/ml. Sparse, serum-starved smooth muscle cells responded to insulin with a dose-dependent increase in [3H]-thymidine incorporation into DNA. Although the effect was already apparent at 1 ng/ml insulin, it reached near maximal level only at 10,000 ng/ml. IGF I also stimulated DNA synthesis in smooth muscle cells; however, at low concentrations insulin was more efficient in this respect. Human growth hormone was inactive. The data indicate the presence of specific receptors for insulin in bovine aortic smooth muscle cells. These receptors appear to mediate the metabolic activity as well as part of the mitogenic effect of insulin in these cells.