HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: EJE-08-0619v1 160/2/249    most recent Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Jang, C. Articles by Inder, W. J Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Jang, C. Articles by Inder, W. J

Skeletal muscle 11β hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 activity is upregulated following elective abdominal surgery

¹ Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes, St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne² Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne 41 Victoria Parade, Fitzroy 3065, Australia

(Correspondence should be addressed to W J Inder; Email: winder{at}medstv.unimelb.edu.au)

Objective: Cortisol has been traditionally implicated in the causation of peri-operative skeletal muscle (SkM) insulin resistance, but cortisol levels return to normal within 72 h of surgery. Tissue cortisol bioactivity may be prolonged by local upregulation of the enzyme 11βHSD1. We aimed to investigate the changes of SkM 11βHSD1 enzyme activity and mRNA expression, relative to plasma cortisol, insulin and glucose levels following elective abdominal surgery.

Patients and design: Eight non-diabetic subjects (two male, six female) underwent serial plasma hormone sampling and muscle biopsy of vastus lateralis at baseline and on day 5 following elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Methods: SkM 11βHSD1 and H6PDH mRNA levels were measured by quantitative RT-PCR and enzyme activity by % conversion of ³H cortisone to cortisol. Plasma glucose, insulin, free fatty acids (FFA), tumour necrosis factor- and cortisol by standardised assays.

Results: Compared with baseline, SkM 11βHSD1 activity was significantly increased on day 5 after surgery (14.7±2.1 vs 20.4±3.2%, P=0.005). Neither 11βHSD1 nor H6PDH mRNA levels were altered after surgery. Plasma cortisol (P=0.027), FFA (P=0.01) and glucose (P=0.004) rose rapidly following surgery and had returned to baseline values by 24 h post-surgery. There was no significant change in plasma insulin.

Conclusions: This is the first study to demonstrate an upregulation of SkM 11βHSD1 activity in response to a physiological stressor. Sustained activation of this enzyme may increase tissue cortisol bioactivity.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M. S. Cooper and P. M. Stewart 11{beta}-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase Type 1 and Its Role in the Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis, Metabolic Syndrome, and Inflammation J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., December 1, 2009; 94(12): 4645 - 4654. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				I. Bautmans, R. Njemini, J. De Backer, E. De Waele, and T. Mets Surgery-Induced Inflammation in Relation to Age, Muscle Endurance, and Self-Perceived Fatigue J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci, October 6, 2009; (2009) glp145v1. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]