Go to JCI Insight
  • About
  • Editors
  • Consulting Editors
  • For authors
  • Publication ethics
  • Publication alerts by email
  • Advertising
  • Job board
  • Contact
  • Clinical Research and Public Health
  • Current issue
  • Past issues
  • By specialty
    • COVID-19
    • Cardiology
    • Gastroenterology
    • Immunology
    • Metabolism
    • Nephrology
    • Neuroscience
    • Oncology
    • Pulmonology
    • Vascular biology
    • All ...
  • Videos
    • Conversations with Giants in Medicine
    • Video Abstracts
  • Reviews
    • View all reviews ...
    • Pancreatic Cancer (Jul 2025)
    • Complement Biology and Therapeutics (May 2025)
    • Evolving insights into MASLD and MASH pathogenesis and treatment (Apr 2025)
    • Microbiome in Health and Disease (Feb 2025)
    • Substance Use Disorders (Oct 2024)
    • Clonal Hematopoiesis (Oct 2024)
    • Sex Differences in Medicine (Sep 2024)
    • View all review series ...
  • Viewpoint
  • Collections
    • In-Press Preview
    • Clinical Research and Public Health
    • Research Letters
    • Letters to the Editor
    • Editorials
    • Commentaries
    • Editor's notes
    • Reviews
    • Viewpoints
    • 100th anniversary
    • Top read articles

  • Current issue
  • Past issues
  • Specialties
  • Reviews
  • Review series
  • Conversations with Giants in Medicine
  • Video Abstracts
  • In-Press Preview
  • Clinical Research and Public Health
  • Research Letters
  • Letters to the Editor
  • Editorials
  • Commentaries
  • Editor's notes
  • Reviews
  • Viewpoints
  • 100th anniversary
  • Top read articles
  • About
  • Editors
  • Consulting Editors
  • For authors
  • Publication ethics
  • Publication alerts by email
  • Advertising
  • Job board
  • Contact
Top
  • View PDF
  • Download citation information
  • Send a comment
  • Terms of use
  • Standard abbreviations
  • Need help? Email the journal
  • Top
  • Abstract
  • Version history
  • Article usage
  • Citations to this article

Advertisement

Research Article Free access | 10.1172/JCI116103

Lipolytic catecholamine resistance due to decreased beta 2-adrenoceptor expression in fat cells.

F Lönnqvist, H Wahrenberg, L Hellström, S Reynisdottir, and P Arner

Department of Medicine and Research Center, Huddinge Hospital, Karolinska Institute, Sweden.

Find articles by Lönnqvist, F. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

Department of Medicine and Research Center, Huddinge Hospital, Karolinska Institute, Sweden.

Find articles by Wahrenberg, H. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

Department of Medicine and Research Center, Huddinge Hospital, Karolinska Institute, Sweden.

Find articles by Hellström, L. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

Department of Medicine and Research Center, Huddinge Hospital, Karolinska Institute, Sweden.

Find articles by Reynisdottir, S. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

Department of Medicine and Research Center, Huddinge Hospital, Karolinska Institute, Sweden.

Find articles by Arner, P. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

Published December 1, 1992 - More info

Published in Volume 90, Issue 6 on December 1, 1992
J Clin Invest. 1992;90(6):2175–2186. https://doi.org/10.1172/JCI116103.
© 1992 The American Society for Clinical Investigation
Published December 1, 1992 - Version history
View PDF
Abstract

The existence of lipolytic beta-adrenoceptor (BAR) resistance was investigated in vivo and in isolated abdominal subcutaneous adipocytes in 65 healthy and drug-free subjects. The concentration of isoprenaline (nonselective BAR agonist) causing half-maximum lipolysis effect (ED50) varied bimodally and 10(6)-fold between individuals but was almost constant in the same subject when measured two times at rest or before and 30 min after exercise. The subjects were categorized as having either high or low isoprenaline sensitivity. The former group had a 50% reduced in vivo lipolytic response to exercise and mental stress, despite a 50% increased plasma noradrenaline response (P < 0.01) and a 350% increased plasma adrenaline response (P < 0.02). In fat cells the lipolytic ED50 values for noradrenaline and terbutaline (BAR2 agonist) were 10 times lower (P < 0.001) in low-sensitive subjects, but the maximum lipolytic actions of these agents (and of isoprenaline) were similar in both groups. The action on lipolysis of dobutamine (BAR1 agonist), forskolin (stimulating adenylate cyclase), dibutyryl cyclic AMP (activating protein kinase), clonidine (alpha 2-adrenergic agonist), or phenyl isopropyladenosine (adenosine receptor agonist) were almost identical in high- and low-sensitivity subjects. ED50 for isoprenaline correlated with ED50 for terbutaline (r = 0.75), but not with ED50 for dobutamine. In high-sensitivity subjects the number of BAR2 was almost three-fold increased (P < 0.002) and the steady-state adipocyte mRNA level for BAR2 was sixfold increased (P < 0.005). BAR2 affinity as well as BAR1 number, affinity and mRNA expression were similar in both groups. In 11 cholecystectomy patients (otherwise healthy) lipolytic ED50 for beta agonists correlated in omental and subcutaneous fat cells (r = 0.85 for isoprenaline; r = 0.95 for terbutaline). In conclusion, lipolytic resistance to catecholamines is present in vivo in apparently healthy subjects due to reduced expression of BAR2 in adipocytes.

Browse pages

Click on an image below to see the page. View PDF of the complete article

icon of scanned page 2175
page 2175
icon of scanned page 2176
page 2176
icon of scanned page 2177
page 2177
icon of scanned page 2178
page 2178
icon of scanned page 2179
page 2179
icon of scanned page 2180
page 2180
icon of scanned page 2181
page 2181
icon of scanned page 2182
page 2182
icon of scanned page 2183
page 2183
icon of scanned page 2184
page 2184
icon of scanned page 2185
page 2185
icon of scanned page 2186
page 2186
Version history
  • Version 1 (December 1, 1992): No description

Article tools

  • View PDF
  • Download citation information
  • Send a comment
  • Terms of use
  • Standard abbreviations
  • Need help? Email the journal

Metrics

  • Article usage
  • Citations to this article

Go to

  • Top
  • Abstract
  • Version history
Advertisement
Advertisement

Copyright © 2025 American Society for Clinical Investigation
ISSN: 0021-9738 (print), 1558-8238 (online)

Sign up for email alerts