1. ^*Service de Gynécologie/Obstétrique, CHU Nord, Marseille, France
2. ^§Centre d'Investigation Clinique, CHU Nord, Marseille, France
3. ^†OncoScore AG, Riehen, Switzerland
4. ^‡Inserm U626, Université de la Méditerranée, Marseille, France
5. ^¶Faculté de Médecine, Université de la Méditerranée, Marseille, France

Correspondence: Michel Grino Inserm U626, Faculté de Médecine, 27 Bd Jean Moulin, 13385 Marseille Cedex 5, France. E-mail: Michel.Grino@medecine.univ-mrs.fr

^*The costs of publication of this article were defrayed, in part, by the payment of page charges. This article must, therefore, be hereby marked "advertisement" in accordance with 18 U.S.C. Section 1734 solely to indicate this fact.

Received 20 June 2005; Accepted 6 February 2006.

Abstract

Objective: Data from rodents provide evidence for a causal role of 11-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11-HSD-1) in the development of obesity and its complications. In humans, 11-HSD-1 is increased in subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) of obese patients, and higher adipose 11-HSD-1 was associated with features of the metabolic syndrome. To date, there is no evidence for an increased expression of 11-HSD-1 in human visceral adipose tissue (VAT), although VAT is the major predictor for insulin resistance and the metabolic syndrome.

Research Methods and Procedures: 11-HSD-1 and hexose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (the enzyme responsible for the synthesis of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate, the cofactor required for 11-HSD-1 oxoreductase activity) mRNA levels were measured using real-time quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction in abdominal SAT and VAT biopsies obtained from 10 normal-weight and 12 obese women. Adiponectin mRNA was used as an internal control.

Results: 11-HSD-1 mRNA concentrations were significantly increased in both SAT and VAT of obese patients (720% and 450% of controls, respectively; p < 0.05) and correlated with hexose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase mRNA levels. The level of VAT 11-HSD-1 mRNA correlated with anthropometric parameters: BMI (r = 0.41, p = 0.05), waist circumference (r = 0.44, p = 0.04), abdominal sagittal diameter (r = 0.51, p = 0.02), and percentage fat (r = 0.51, p = 0.02).

Discussion: Our results demonstrate for the first time that 11-HSD-1 mRNA expression is increased in VAT from obese patients. They strengthen the importance of 11-HSD-1 in human obesity and its associated complications and suggest the need of clinical studies with specific 11-HSD-1 inhibitors.