Insulin receptor characteristics of erythrocytes from human newborns.

Erythrocytes from human newborns were observed to have specific insulin receptors. The characteristics of these receptors were similar to those of the normal adult subjects. An observed slight increase in R(o) and a decrease in K̄(e) of insulin receptors in erythrocytes may be speculated to facilitate the transfer of insulin from the fetal erythrocytes to other rapidly growing fetal tissues at a rate faster than that present in the circulation of the adult subjects.