The mechanism of the potentiating effect of glucocorticoids on catecholamine-induced lipolysis.

Preincubation of isolated epididymal fat cells with dexamethasone or treating rats with cortisol enhances the epinephrine-stimulated lipolysis of the cells as well as cAMP-dependent protein kinase activity in homogenates of these fat cell suspensions. During maximal inhibition of phosphodiesterase activity by theophylline or dibutyryl cAMP, this potentiating effect of glucocorticoids on the fat cells was also present. There was no lowering of the total phosphodiesterase activity in homogenates of fat cell suspensions of rats that were treated with cortisol, but there appeared to be a lower activity of the low KM phosphodiesterase activity. It is concluded that induction of protein kinase by glucocorticoid hormone is responsible for its special type of stimulative action on lipolysis.