Cellular effects of growth hormone on adipocytes

Adipocytes are physiological targets for GH in both growing and nongrowing individuals. In adipocytes that have been deprived of GH for at least 3 h, GH initially produces a response that is characterized by increased metabolism of glucose and inhibition of the lipolytic effects of catecholamines. This insulin-like effect disappears within 2-3 h despite continued stimulation and cannot be elicited again unless cells are deprived of GH for at least 3 h. Despite refractoriness to the insulin-like action of GH, the lipolytic effect of GH is evident at this time. Although termination of the insulin-like response and induction of both refractoriness and lipolysis all depend upon synthesis of RNA and proteins, these 3 effects of GH appear to be neither temporally nor causally related. Scatchard analysis of ligand binding data suggests that these various effects are produced by interaction of GH with a single class of receptors. However, since modification of either the hormone or the carbohydrate moiety of the receptor can selectively attenuate either the insulin-like or the lipolytic response, more than one hormone receptor interaction is likely. Northern analysis indicates the presence of at least 2 alternately spliced mRNA transcripts for the GH receptor, and at least 3 different complexes are seen after GH is covalently crosslinked to intact adipocytes. Refractoriness does not result from changes in either the number or affinity of GH receptors, but may result from increased cytosolic calcium. Although the protein kinase C activator phorbol myristate acetate mimics both the insulin-like and lipolytic actions of GH, increased activity of protein kinase C probably does not mediate either action of GH. The intracellular mediators of the diverse actions of GH are unknown at this time.