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Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, Vol 80, 693-695, Copyright © 1995 by Endocrine Society

ARTICLES

Insulin degradation by adipose tissue is increased in human obesity

I Rafecas, JA Fernandez-Lopez, I Salinas, X Formiguera, X Remesar, M Foz and M Alemany
Departament de Bioquimica i Fisiologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Spain.

White adipose tissue samples from obese and lean patients were used for the estimation of insulin protease and insulin:glutathione transhydrogenase using 125I-labeled insulin. There was no activity detected in the absence of reduced glutathione, which indicates that insulin is cleaved in human adipose tissue through reduction of the disulfide bridge between the chains. Obese patients showed higher transhydrogenase activity (per U tissue protein wt, per U tissue wt, and in the total adipose tissue mass) than the lean group. There is a significant correlation between the activity per U tissue wt, and protein and total activity in the whole adipose tissue with respect to body mass index, with a higher activity in obese patients. The potential of insulin cleavage by adipose tissue in obese patients was a mean 5.6-fold higher than that in controls. The coexistence of high insulinemia and high cleavage capability implies that insulin secretion and turnover are increased in the obese. Thus, white adipose tissue may be crucial in the control of energy availability through modulation of insulin cleavage.




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Copyright © 1995 by The Endocrine Society