ABSTRACT
Aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of the red cell aging process on insulin receptor binding. In erythrocytes from 8 children with high reticulocyte count and 9 healthy age-matched subjects we studied insulin receptor binding in correlation with pyruvate kinase (PK) activity and creatine levels. Moreover maximum 125I-insulin bound % and PK activity were tested in four red cell fractions of different age. Our data show a significant correlation between 125I-insulin bound and either PK activity or creatine levels. In vitro experiments on red cell fractions of different age (as tested by creatine levels) evidence a lower decay of PK activity than insulin bound (p less than 0.05). Our results indicate that creatine content is the best marker of red cell age for insulin receptor studies.
Subject(s)
Erythrocytes/metabolism , Receptor, Insulin/blood , Child , Creatinine/blood , Erythrocyte Aging/physiology , Humans , Male , Pyruvate Kinase/bloodABSTRACT
The Author emphasizes the significant number of children who sustain fatal accidents during their transport on motor vehicles and relates the Act recently promulgated by the Italian Parliament on the mandatory use of particular restraining devices as well as safety harness for children.
