Antibody-induced Desensitization of the Insulin Receptor: STUDIES OF THE MECHANISM OF DESENSITIZATION IN 3T3-L1 FATTY FIBROBLASTS

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Abstract

Antibodies against the insulin receptor (Anti-R), which are found in the serum of type B patients with the syndrome of insulin resistance and acanthosis nigricans, inhibit the binding of insulin to its receptor and mimic the actions of insulin when studied acutely in vitro. After prolonged exposure of 3T3-L1 cells to Anti-R, the insulinomimetic activity is lost, and the cells show a marked decrease in their maximal response to insulin (antibody-induced desensitization), thus providing a model for the insulin resistance seen in vivo. This study explores in detail the mechanism and specificity of desensitization in 3T3-L1 cells.

Authors

Carl Grunfeld, Emmanuel Van Obberghen, F. Anders Karlsson, C. Ronald Kahn