Insulin-unresponsive tissues respond to superactive insulin-like material.

Insulin-like material prepared from insulin-Sepharose stimulates glucose oxidation by isolated diaphragm of C57Bl/6J ob/ob mice, but insulin does not. This material is much more effective than insulin on epididymal fat tissue from these mice. Insulin-like material and insulin are equipotent on the corresponding tissues from lean littermates.