Abstract
Summary: Erythrocyte insulin receptors were studied in nine children treated with prednisone (2 mg/kg body weight/day) for various diseases. Two children were treated for 7 days and the other seven for 14 days. Fasting blood glucose rose slightly but significantly (P < 0.025) during prednisone administration; this rise was accompanied by a 2-fold increase in fasting plasma insulin levels (from 11.6 ± 4.5 before to 20.8 ± 12 μU/ml after 7 days of treatment, means + S.D., P < 0.05). This insulin resistant state was maintained throughout prednisone therapy and was reversed 5 days after cessation of treatment. The binding of [125I]insulin at tracer concentration (0.1 ng/ml) to erythrocytes, expressed as % of [125I] insulin specifically bound to 4.4 × 109 cells, rose from 10.7 + 1.7% before to 16.1 + 4.0% after 7 days of prednisone therapy (means + S.D., P < 0.025). This rise was accounted for by a 2-fold increase in the number of receptors per cell (from 54 + 11 before to 97 + 25 after 7 days of treatment, means + S.D., P < 0.05), with no detectable change in receptor affinity. This alteration in the number of erythrocyte receptors was observed throughout the period of prednisone administration, and was reversed 5 days after prednisone withdrawal. The development of insulin resistance despite the increase in the number of insulin receptors suggests that prednisone alters the cellular mechanism(s) of insulin action at a step (or steps) distal to the insulin receptor.
Similar content being viewed by others
Article PDF
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Canivet, B., Poustis-Delpont, C., Mariani, R. et al. Prednisone Increases the Number of Insulin Receptors in Erythrocytes from Children. Pediatr Res 17, 672–675 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198308000-00014
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198308000-00014
This article is cited by
-
Decreased insulin binding and antilipolytic response in adipocytes from patients with Cushing's syndrome
Bioscience Reports (1987)