Relationship between prostaglandin biosynthesis and the effect of insulin on hormone-stimulated lipolysis in rat adipose tissue.

Lipolysis in rat fat pads was studied by determination of free fatty acid and glycerol production in various experimental conditions (in the absence or presence of glucose, adrenalin and insulin). These results were compared to the accumulation of endogenous prostaglandins E2 and F2alpha during lipolysis. In the absence of glucose the prostaglandin production followed the adrenalin-induced fluctuations in released free fatty acids both in the presence or absence of insulin. In the presence of glucose and insulin, a drop in prostaglandin accumulation was observed whereas free fatty acids production was strongly stimulated. These results suggest that either free fatty acid composition is modified, influencing the activity of prostaglandin synthetase, or that there exists a specific mechanism controlling prostaglandin synthesis.