Changes in insulin receptor functions of the erythrocyte by treatment of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) patients with glibenclamide and diet control.

The insulin binding of erythrocytes from: (i) fifteen age-matched normal subjects, (ii) ten untreated NIDDM patients and (iii) fifteen treated (glibenclamide + hypocaloric diet) NIDDM patients (all males) has been studied. A significant decrease in specific insulin binding was observed in group (ii) which improved in cases controlled after treatment (group iii). Scatchard analysis of the results suggested that changes in insulin binding were due to alteration in the number of insulin receptors on erythrocytes. The number of insulin receptors/cell was 471 in normals, 160 in diabetics and 282 in treated diabetic subjects. No significant change in the binding affinity was observed in the three groups (1.0 X 10(8), 1.2 X 10(8) and 1.1 X 10(8) M-1 in normal subjects, untreated diabetics and treated diabetics, respectively).