Effects of age and adenosine in the modulation of insulin action on rat adipocyte metabolism.

The age-related declines in the antilipolytic and lipogenic actions of insulin were studied in adipocytes from rats aged 2, 6, 12, and 24 months. Since adenosine modulates insulin action, its concentration was controlled by treatment of adipocytes with adenosine deaminase and addition of the non-metabolizable adenosine analog, N6-[(R)-(-)1-methyl-2-phenethyl] adenosine (PIA). Inhibition of isoproterenol-stimulated lipolysis by PIA increased significantly by 6 months of age. Decreasing the concentration of PIA rendered the adipocytes from the 6-, 12-, and 24-mo-old rats less sensitive to the antilipolytic effect of insulin. Basal and insulin-stimulated lipogenesis decreased with aging. PIA increased insulin-stimulated lipogenesis at 0.2 ng/ml insulin only in the 2-month-old rats. PIA reduced insulin-stimulated lipogenesis at higher insulin doses in the oldest rats. These results suggest that aging causes quantitative declines in maximal lipolysis and basal and maximal lipogenesis. Maturation may cause a decline in sensitivity to insulin, but adenosine in sufficient concentration reverses the acquired resistance to the antilipolytic effect of insulin.