Crystalization of Insulin?

[Kumar]

Hello,
Best Season's Greetings!!

Insulin molecules have a tendency to form dimers in solution due to hydrogen-bonding between the C-termini of B chains. Additionally, in the presence of zinc ions, insulin dimers associate into hexamers.

These interactions have important clinical ramifications. Monomers and dimers readily diffuse into blood, whereas hexamers diffuse very poorly. Hence, absorption of insulin preparations containing a high proportion of hexamers is delayed and slow. This problem, among others, has stimulated development of a number of recombinant insulin analogs.
http://arbl.cvmbs.colostate.edu/hbo...lin_struct.html

It is very important to unserstand whether our insulin molecules have a tendancy to to form dimers or hexamers, in normal health and in diabetes as this may effect filtration of insulin molecules in capialliries as insulin's molecular weight is appx. 6000D and kidney's filteration capacity is 30000D in normal health.

Whether insulin molecules crystalize in blood and in ECF or not? If yes, what makes these to associate?


Best wishes.

 

[Kumar]

Many types of insulin is supplied in crystal/associated form leading to their slow release. What about endogenous insulin?