Rapid down regulation of insulin receptors in adipocytes artifact of the incubation buffer

Abstract

Rat adipocytes were incubated with 15 nM insulin in different buffers at 37°C. The cells were washed and reincubated at 16°C in the presence of 18 pM A14-[ 125I]monoiodoinsulin to determine the insulin receptor concentration. After incubation for 2 h in Tris buffer the binding decreased to about 30 %, whereas no decrease was found after incubation in Hepes, phosphate or bicarbonate buffers. Binding of tracer insulin reached a constant level by 45 min in Hepes buffer at 37°C, whereas it continued to increase in Tris buffer. Washout of tracer insulin after incubation in Tris buffer at 37°C showed a large, slowly dissociable fraction. It is suggested that the rapid down regulation of insulin receptors in vitro is an artifact of the Tris buffer and that the phenomenon is due to a slowly reversible occupancy of a receptor pool with unlabelled insulin.