Lipolysis in diabetic adipocytes: differences in response to growth hormone and adenosine

The sensitivity to lipolytic agents is altered in diabetic vs. control animals. Because of its role as a diabetogenic hormone and its ability to elicit lipolysis, GH was studied in isolated fat cells (IFC) from control and streptozotocin-diabetic (STZ-DM) rats. IFCs from the epididymal fat of 150 to 200-g normal and STZ-DM Holtzman rats were prepared by collagenase digestion. Lipolysis was measured by glycerol release after either incubation or perifusion with the following concentrations: epinephrine (EPI), 0.01-0.1 microM; theophylline, 0.01-1.0 mg/ml; adenosine deaminase (ADA), and bovine GH (bGH), 0.01-1.0 microgram/ml. Rats, rendered diabetic by STZ (65 mg/kg), were used on day 3. In a dose-response study comparing glycerol release from control and STZ-DM IFC, IFC were preincubated with 1.0 microgram/ml bGH and then incubated with varying concentrations of EPI or bGH. In STZ-DM, we noted increased lipolytic sensitivity to low concentrations of EPI or bGH. Furthermore, in perifusion, STZ-DM IFC did not require obligatory preincubation with bGH for optimal glycerol release. The addition of ADA increased glycerol release from incubated IFC (STZ-DM and controls). In both systems an enhanced lipolytic response to theophylline was seen in the presence of bGH in control and STZ-DM. It was thus concluded that IFC from normal animals do not respond to GH without preincubation. IFC from STZ-DM rats show a lipolytic response to GH without preincubation. Preincubation with GH increases the lipolytic response of IFC from STZ-DM to all lipolytic agents compared to control responses. In addition, ADA greatly enhanced lipolysis in IFC from STZ-DM compared to that in controls. Together these data demonstrate enhanced sensitivity to both lipolytic stimuli and adenosine suppression of lipolysis in IFC from STZ-DM.