The monocyte as a model for the study of insulin receptors in man

We have characterized the cellular composition of preparations isolated from peripheral blood by Ficoll-Isopaque gradient centrifugation. 125I-insulin binding to every cell type was measured. A highly significantly positive correlation between specific cell binding fraction and the monocyte concentration of the heterogeneous cell suspension was demonstrated. Depletion of monocytes reduced the insulin binding approximately 80%, which confirms previous findings by other investigators. The granulocytes possessed the second highest binding ability, but only one fourteenth of that of monocytes. Compared to the lymphocyte the monocyte had about 25 times greater insulin binding. Also thrombocytes bound insulin and contamination with these meant that their contribution to the total specific cell binding was not negligible. A reduction in these contaminants is essential. We found that insulin binding to erythrocytes was insignificant. A method of calculating the specific insulin binding to monocytes alone is introduced. The monocyte-insulin-receptor possesses specificity. Only an insignificant degradation of receptor bound insulin could be shown. Evidence of negative cooperativity between receptors was found. Consequently monocytes are considered a useful model for insulin receptor studies in man.