[Comparative studies on the banding characteristics of insulin receptor in human hepatocellular carcinoma and adjacent liver tissues].

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the expression of insulin receptor in human hepatocellular carcinoma and it's adjacent tissue.

Methods: The human hepatocellular carcinoma and it's adjacent tissue specimens were obtained from 12 patients with histologically confirmed hepatocellular carcinoma at surgery and were immediately frozen under -80 degrees C. Insulin was radioiodinated using Ch-T method. Cell membrane fraction of human hepatocellular carcinoma and it's adjacent tissue were isolated by sucrose density gradient centrifugation. Receptor binding of 125I-insulin to human hepatocellular carcinoma and it's adjacent tissue were performed. Binding data were calculated according to Scatchard using the ligand program. Statistical comparison was made with the paired t-test.

Results: The Kd values of human hepatocellular carcinoma and it's adjacent tissue were 2.12 +/- 0.62 nmol/L and 2.21 +/- 0.78 nmol/L respectively; the values of Bmax were 1.94 +/- 0.64 pmol/mg protein and 1.42 +/- 0.57 pmol/mg protein respectively. The Bmax value of human hepatocellular carcinoma was significantly higher than that of the adjacent tissue (P < 0.05), whereas the two Kd values had little difference (P > 0.05).

Conclusion: The results of this study showed that human hepatocellular carcinoma expressed denser insulin receptors than it's adjacent tissue, but there was no significant increase in the affinity of the carcinoma to insulin.