Protein kinase in rat adipocytes: influence of androgenic status and regional fat distribution

The effects of castration and testosterone treatment on insulin- and phorbol ester (TPA)-stimulated lipogenic responses, phorbol dibutyrate-specific binding to protein kinase C (PKC) in the cytosol and the beta-PKC isoform level quantified by immunoblotting were compared in rat fat cells from femoral subcutaneous (SC) and deep intra-abdominal (epididymal) fat deposits. In control rats, the PKC content was lower in SC than in epididymal fat cells. After castration, the difference in PKC content between SC and epididymal fat cells was reduced and restored by testosterone treatment. However, androgenic status failed to modify the PKC content in SC fat cells. The lipogenic response to insulin was also differently regulated by the androgenic status in the two fat deposits. After castration, the response was increased in SC fat cells, while it was blunted in epididymal fat cells. These effects were corrected by testosterone administration. These results demonstrate that, in white adipocytes, PKC is an additional biological parameter which varies according to the anatomical origin of the fat cells. They also provide evidence that PKC is controlled by androgens in vivo and emphasize the regional site specificity of such a control.