Identification of a type 1 insulin-like growth factor binding protein (IGF BP) in serum from rats with diabetes mellitus.

Circulating insulin-like growth factor binding protein (IGF BP) activity is increased in animals with streptozotocin-induced diabetes. Separation of BPs by SDS/PAGE for ligand and immunoblot analysis revealed that a 32,000 molecular weight BP is present and increased in diabetic serum. This BP is immunologically distinct from the low molecular weight fetal rat BP (rBP2) and is related to the human amniotic fluid BP (hBP1) that is increased in patients with insulin dependent diabetes mellitus.