Effects of prednisolone and dexamethasone in vivo and in vitro: studies of insulin binding, deoxyglucose uptake and glucose oxidation in rat adipocytes.

We have studied the effects of dexamethasone and prednisolone in vitro and in vivo on insulin binding, deoxyglucose uptake and glucose oxidation in rat adipocytes. In the studies in vivo, rats were treated for 22 h with dexamethasone (30 micrograms/kg) or prednisolone (200 micrograms/kg). Following sacrifice, adipocytes were prepared and the results demonstrated that cells from prednisolone treated rats showed a 17% increase in insulin binding and increased rates of basal and insulin stimulated deoxyglucose uptake and glucose oxidation. Conversely, dexamethasone administration resulted in a 22% decrease in insulin binding, and decreased rates of deoxyglucose uptake and glucose oxidation by the cells. Thus, prednisolone and dexamethasone had opposite effects in vivo. In contrast to the opposite effects of the two glucocorticoids in vivo, dexamethasone and prednisolone (each at a concentration of 1 mumol/l) had similar effects on adipocytes in vitro. Incubation of adipocytes with the steroids did not alter insulin binding, while both agents led to a comparable decrease in the rates of basal and insulin stimulated deoxyglucose uptake and glucose oxidation. Thus, dexamethasone and prednisolone have opposite effects on adipocyte glucose metabolism in vivo but have similar effects in vitro.