HSD1 and AQP7 short-term gene regulation by cortisone in 3T3-L1 adipocytes

Adipose Tissue (AT) is a complex organ with a crucial regulatory role in energy metabolism and in the development of obesity and the Metabolic Syndrome (MS). Modified responses and the metabolism of hormones have been observed in visceral adiposity during obesity, specifically as related with cortisone. The objective of this study was to assess, in the 3T3-L1 adipocyte cell line, the short-term effect of cortisone on the expression of 11β-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 1 (Hsd1), which is responsible for activation of cortisone into cortisol, and for Aquaporin 7 (Aqp7), involved in glycerol transport through the cell membrane. Total RNA (tRNA) and complementary DNA (cDNA) were obtained from cell samples treated with cortisone (0.1, 1, and 10 μM) during different times (0, 5, 10, 15, and 20 min, and 48 h) to quantify the expression of the aforementioned genes by real time PCR employing MnSOD and Ppia as housekeeping genes. There was a time-dependent response of Aqp7, a dose-dependent response of Hsd1, and an increase observed in the expression of both genes during min 1 of treatment (5- and 6-fold, respectively), followed by a decrease during the following 5-10 min (P < 0.05). With the 1-μM cortisone treatment, both genes showed cubic tendencies in their expression; the Hsd1 tendency is described by the equation y = 0.18×(3)-1.65×(2)+3.59x+1.31, while the Aqp7 tendency is described by y = 0.33×(3)-2.67×(2)+4.93x+1.84. There are immediate and quantitatively important actions of cortisone on the expression of Aqp7 and Hsd1 in 3T3-L1 adipocytes.