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Contents
1 Receptor downregulation
o 1.1 Mechanism: The Insulin Receptor
o 1.2 Cases
o 1.3 Reversal
2 See also
3 References
4 External links
Receptor downregulation
Cases
This process is illustrated by the insulin receptor sites on target cells in a person with type 2
diabetes. Due to the elevated levels of blood glucose in an overweight individual, the -cells
(islets of Langerhans) in the pancreas must release more insulin than normal to meet the
demand and return the blood to homeostatic levels. The near-constant increase in blood
insulin levels results from an effort to match the increase in blood glucose, which will cause
receptor sites on the liver cells to downregulate and decrease the number of receptors for
insulin, increasing the subjects resistance by decreasing sensitivity to this hormone. There is
also a hepatic decrease in sensitivity to insulin. This can be seen in