Distribution of 125I-labelled insulin-binding sites in peripheral tissues of the normal and diabetic rat: an autoradiographic study.

In-vitro autoradiography was used to demonstrate the regional distribution of 12I-labelled insulin-binding sites in the liver, kidney and heart of normal rats and rats made diabetic with streptozotocin. The distribution of insulin-binding sites in the liver of control rats was uniformly high, while in the kidney of control rats there was weak 125I-labelled insulin binding in the medulla and dense binding in the cortex. In the hearts of control rats a high density of 125I-labelled insulin-binding sites was evident both in the atrial and ventricular muscle. Non-ketotic diabetes mellitus caused a marked increase in 125I-labelled insulin-binding sites in both the liver and kidney with the former tissue exhibiting a time-dependent (7 to 62 days) increase. There was no apparent effect of diabetes on insulin-binding sites in the heart. Since experimental diabetes causes (1) a decrease in circulating insulin concentration and (2) impaired insulin action at many target tissues, the increase in 125I-labelled insulin-binding sites observed in the present study may represent a compensatory 'up regulation' of insulin receptors.