Effect of physical training on control mechanisms of lipolysis in rat fat cell ghosts

Fat cell ghosts and homogenates of fat cells were used to study the influence of training on the regulatory system for lipolysis in adipose tissue of female rats. A training effect was identified from elevated succinate dehydrogenase activities in the soleus and plantaris muscles. Neither basal nor maximal (NaF-stimulated) adenylate cyclase activities per mg protein of fat cell ghosts were altered by training. Fluoride-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity per microgram DNA was lower in the trained than untrained group. Adenylate cyclase activities in response to norepinephrine expressed either on a per mg protein or per microgram DNA basis were lower (P less than 0.05) in fat cell ghosts from trained rats. Phosphodiesterase activity was higher (P less than 0.05) in fat cell ghosts from trained rats for cyclic AMP concentrations of 1--5.0 micrometer. The apparent Km's of phosphodiesterase were 1.19 and 2.0 micrometer of cyclic AMP for the untrained and trained groups, respectively (P less than 0.05). Protein kinase activity in the supernatant fraction of homogenates of fat cells was unchanged due to training. The overall effect of training was to blunt the system for cyclic AMP production in rat adipocytes. This may explain, at least partially, the lower plasma free fatty acid levels observed in trained compared to untrained persons during submaximal exercise.