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Patients with glucocorticoid excess develop central obesity, yet in simple obesity, circulating glucocorticoid levels are normal. We have suggested that the increased activity and expression of the enzyme 11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11betaHSD1) generating active cortisol from cortisone within adipose tissue may be crucial in the pathogenesis of obesity. In this study primary cultures of human hepatocytes and adipose stromal cells (ASC) were used as in vitro models to investigate the tissue-specific regulation of 11betaHSD1 expression and activity. Treatment with tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFalpha) caused a dose-dependent increase in 11betaHSD1 activity in primary cultures of both sc 1743.1 +/- 1015.4% (TNFalpha, 10 ng/ml); P < 0.05 vs. control (100%) and omental 375.8 +/- 57.0% (TNFalpha, 10 ng/ml); P < 0.01 vs. control (100%) ASC, but had no effect on activity in human hepatocytes 90.2 +/- 2.8% (TNFalpha, 10 ng/ml); P = NS vs. control (100%). Insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) caused a dose-dependent inhibition of 11betaHSD1 activity in sc 49.7 +/- 15.0% (IGF-I, 100 ng/ml; P < 0.05 vs. control (100%)] and omental 71.6 +/- 7.5 (IGF-I, 100 ng/ml); P < 0.01 vs. control (100%) stromal cells, but not in human hepatocytes 101.8 +/- 15.7% (IGF-I, 100 ng/ml); P = NS vs. control (100%). Leptin treatment did not alter 11betaHSD1 activity in human hepatocytes, but increased activity in omental ASC 135.8 +/- 14.1% (leptin, 100 ng/ml); P = 0.08 vs. control (100%). Treatment with interleukin-1beta induced 11betaHSD1 activity and expression in sc and omental ASC in a time- and dose-dependent manner. 15-Deoxy-12,14-PGJ2, the putative endogenous ligand of the orphan nuclear receptor peroxisome proliferator-gamma, significantly increased 11betaHSD1 activity in omental cells 179.7 +/- 29.6% (1 microM); P < 0.05 vs. control (100%) and sc 185.3 +/- 12.6% (1 microM); P < 0.01 vs. control (100%) ASC, and it is possible that expression of this ligand may ensure continued cortisol generation to permit adipocyte differentiation. Protease inhibitors used in the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus infection are known to cause a lipodystrophic syndrome and central obesity, but saquinavir, indinavir, and neflinavir caused a dose-dependent inhibition of 11betaHSD1 activity in primary cultures of human omental ASC. 11betaHSD1 expression is increased in human adipose tissue by TNFalpha, interleukin-1beta, leptin, and orphan nuclear receptor peroxisome proliferator-gamma agonists, but is inhibited by IGF-I. This autocrine and/or paracrine regulation is tissue specific and explains recent clinical data and animal studies evaluating cortisol metabolism in obesity. Tissue-specific 11betaHSD1 regulation offers the potential for selective enzyme inhibition within adipose tissue as a novel therapy for visceral obesity.
Tomlinson et al. (Tue,) studied this question.