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Chronic Hyperglycemia Increases the Density of Glucose Transporters in Human Erythrocyte Membranes^*

Department of Neurology (S.I.H., R.A.B.) and Division of Endocrinology (B.M.A.), Department of Medicine, University Hospitals of Cleveland and Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine Cleveland, Ohio 44106

Address all correspondence and requests for reprints to: Sami I. Harik, M.D., University Hospitals of Cleveland, 2074 Abington Road, Cleveland, Ohio 44106.

We investigated the effect of chronic hyperglycemia on glucose transporters in erythrocytes of subjects with and without diabetes mellitus. We found a 22% increase in D-glucose-displaceable cytochalasin-B binding in erythrocyte membranes of diabetic subjects over those of controls (311 ± 13 vs. 254 ± 8 pmol/mg protein; P < 0.001). This increased binding was due to a higher density of binding sites without a significant change in binding affinity. Cytochalasin-B binding to erythrocyte membranes correlated positively with both erythrocyte glycohemoglobin and serum glucose levels, but not with plasma C-peptide levels. The data are compatible with up-regulation of glucose transporters in the erythrocytes of subjects with chronic hyperglycemia. We suspect that this is brought about by increased synthesis and membrane incorporation of the glucose transporter during erythropoiesis. (J Clin Endocrinol Metab 72: 814–818, 1991)

^* This work was supported by USPHS Grant HL-35617 and the David S. Ingall's fund.

Received August 13, 1990.

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