Phosphodiesterase activity in human subcutaneous adipose tissue in hyper- and hypothyroidism

Phosphodiesterase (PDE) activity was determined in sc adipose tissue from 12 patients with untreated hyperthyroidism, 8 patients with untreated hypothyroidism, and 10 healthy nonobese subjects. Eight of the hyperthyroid group were reexamined after treatment when they were euthyroid. The apparent Vmax of the low Km form of PDE was 25% lower in untreated hyperthyroidism (P less than 0.05) and 100% higher in untreated hypothyroidism (P less than 0.01) than in the controls; treatment of the hyperthyroidism resulted in normalization of the value. There was a positive correlation between the mean fat cell volume and the Vmax of the low Km PDE in all conditions (r = 0.64-0.85). As regards the high Km form of PDE, the Vmax values for both hyper- and hypothyroid patients did not differ from those for the control group. The results of this study suggest that in man, the apparent Vmax for the PDE with low Km is determined by the thyroid hormones.