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The Journal of Lipid Research, Vol. 40, 267-274, February 1999
Copyright © 1999 by Lipid Research, Inc.

Original Article

Pregnancy modifies the 2-ß-adrenergic receptor functional balance in rabbit fat cells

Correspondence to: Alain Bousquet-Mélou

The sympathetic nervous system controls lipolysis in fat by activation of four adrenergic receptors: ß1, ß2, ß3, and 2. During pregnancy, maternal metabolism presents anabolic and catabolic phases, characterized by modifications of fat responsiveness to catecholamines. The contributions of the four adrenergic receptors to adipocyte responsiveness during pregnancy have never been studied. Our aim was to evaluate the influence of pregnancy on adrenergic receptor-mediated lipolysis in rabbit white adipocytes. Functional studies were performed using subtype-selective and non-selective adrenergic receptor agonists. Overall adrenergic responsiveness was measured with the physiological agonist epinephrine. Non-adrenergic agents were used to evaluate different steps of the lipolytic cascade. The 2- and ß1/ß2-adrenergic receptor numbers were determined with selective radioligands. Non-adrenergic agents revealed that pregnancy induced an intracytoplasmic modification of the lipolytic cascade in inguinal but not in retroperitoneal adipocytes. Pregnancy induced an increase in ß1- and specially ß3-mediated lipolysis. The amounts of adipocyte ß1/ß2- and 2-adrenergic receptors were increased in pregnant rabbits. Epinephrine effects revealed an increased contribution of 2-adrenergic receptor-mediated antilipolysis in adipocytes from pregnant rabbits.

These results indicate that pregnancy regulates adipocyte responsiveness to catecholamines mainly via the 2- and ß3-adrenergic pathways. Pregnancy induces an intracytoplasmic modification of the lipolytic cascade, probably via hormone-sensitive lipase, with differences according to fat location.—Bousquet-Mélou, A., C. Muñoz, J. Galitzky, M. Berlan, and M. Lafontan. Pregnancy modifies the 2-ß-adrenergic receptor functional balance in rabbit fat cells. J. Lipid Res. 1999. 40: 267–274.

Supplementary key words: white adipose tissue, retroperitoneal, inguinal, lipolysis, ß3-adrenergic receptor, hormone-sensitive lipase

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