A human hepatoma cell line modulates its insulin receptors under different culture conditions
Festa, A.; Bagnarelli, P.; Testa, I.; Clementi, M.
Bollettino della Societa Italiana di Biologia Sperimentale 61(10): 1409-1416
1985
ISSN/ISBN: 0037-8771 PMID: 3006728 Document Number: 261491
The human hepatoma cell line PLC/PRF/5 contains at least four copies of hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA in integrated form and releases hepatitis B surface antigen in the form of round 22 nm particles in culture medum; studies on the supernatant fluid failed to provide evidence of the morphologically intact virion or hepatitis B infectivity. In this paper we described the insulin binding to specific cell membrane receptors to PLC/PRF/5 cultured under different conditions. Data in our hand point to a different insulin binding and to different insulin effects, which might be related to different incubation conditions. Here we have demonstrated that the cells cultured under serum-free conditions rapidly reduce insulin binding and later loss down-regulation of insulin receptors.