Role of metabolically active hormones in the insulin resistance associated with short-term glucocorticoid treatment.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

The mechanisms by which glucocorticoid therapy promotes obesity and insulin resistance are incompletely characterized. Modulations of the metabolically active hormones, tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha), ghrelin, leptin and adiponectin are all implicated in the development of these cardiovascular risk factors. Little is known about the effects of short-term glucocorticoid treatment on levels of these hormones.

RESEARCH METHODS AND PROCEDURES:

Using a blinded, placebo-controlled approach, we randomised 25 healthy men (mean (SD) age: 24.2 (5.4) years) to 5 days of treatment with either placebo or oral dexamethasone 3 mg twice daily. Fasting plasma TNFalpha, ghrelin, leptin and adiponectin were measured before and after treatment.

RESULTS:

Mean changes in all hormones were no different between treatment arms, despite dexamethasone-related increases in body weight, blood pressure, HDL cholesterol and insulin. Changes in calculated indices of insulin sensitivity (HOMA-S, insulin sensitivity index) were strongly related to dexamethasone treatment (p < 0.001).

DISCUSSION:

Our data do not support a role for TNF alpha, ghrelin, leptin or adiponectin in the insulin resistance associated with short-term glucocorticoid treatment.

• Authors: Jeetesh V Patel, David E Cummings, John P Girod, Alwin V Mascarenhas, Elizabeth A Hughes, Manjula Gupta, Gregory Y H Lip, Sethu Reddy, Daniel J Brotman
• Journal: Journal of negative results in biomedicine (J Negat Results Biomed) Vol. 5 Pg. 14 (Sep 11 2006) ISSN: 1477-5751 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 16965635 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Randomized Controlled Trial, Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Adiponectin
• Ghrelin
• Glucocorticoids
• Hormones
• Leptin
• Peptide Hormones
• Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha

Topics

• Adiponectin (blood)
• Adult
• Ghrelin
• Glucocorticoids (administration & dosage, pharmacology)
• Health
• Hormones (metabolism)
• Humans
• Insulin Resistance (physiology)
• Leptin (blood)
• Male
• Peptide Hormones (blood)
• Time Factors
• Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha (metabolism)