title: An in vivo study of the cortisol-cortisone shuttle in subcutaneous abdominal adipose tissue.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Previous in vitro studies have demonstrated significant 11-beta hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (11 beta-HSD) oxo-reductase activity in visceral, but not subcutaneous adipose stromal cells. We have conducted an in vivo study of the cortisol-cortisone shuttle in subcutaneous abdominal adipose tissue.
  
  
  METHODS
  We measured arteriovenous (A-V) differences in serum cortisol and cortisone across subcutaneous abdominal adipose tissue and forearm muscle in a heterogeneous group of subjects.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied 34 subjects (male:female = 12:22), age median (interquartile range) 45 (19-65) years, body mass index 32.7 (20.4-77.1) kg m-2, total body fat 34.4 (5.6-119.1) kg.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum cortisol and cortisone were measured in serum samples from a radial artery, superficial epigastric vein and deep forearm vein. Abdominal adipose and forearm blood flow rates were measured by 133Xenon washout and plethysmography, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  For cortisone, there was significant (P < 0.001) clearance by adipose tissue, with an A-V difference of 4 (1-7) nmol/l. For cortisol there was a trend for arterial concentrations (203 (142-292) nmol/l) to be lower than venous (225 (152-263) nmol/l), but this was not significant. The adipose tissue cortisone clearance rate correlated with total body fat (r = 0.35, P = 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We have demonstrated 11 beta-HSD oxo-reductase activity in subcutaneous abdominal adipose tissue, which may be increased in obesity.
authors.affiliation: UCL Department of Medicine, Whittington Hospital, London, UK.
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Katz
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mohamed-Ali
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Wood
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Yudkin
authors.forename: S W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Coppack
mesh_terms: D042842:11-beta-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenases; D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000378:metabolism*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001823:Body Composition; D003348:Cortisone / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D006913:Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenases / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008657:Metabolic Clearance Rate; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D012039:Regional Blood Flow; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
chemical_list: D006913:Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenases; D042842:11-beta-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenases; D003348:Cortisone; D006854:Hydrocortisone