Glucocorticoid hormone binding to human adipose tissue.

Binding of triamcinolone was examined in cytosolic preparations of human adipose tissue obtained during surgery. A saturable specific binding was found. Non-specific binding comprised on an average 28% of total binding. The affinity and concentration of binding sites were in the same order as previously described for glucocorticoid hormone binding in other tissues and in rat adipose tissue. There was a large difference in these variables between different individuals. The binding was inhibited competitively by non-labelled triamcinolone, promegestone, dexamethasone and 17-beta-estradiol, in that order of potency. The promegestone inhibition was effective requiring only about 25% higher concentration than triamcinolone to obtain inhibition of half the triamcinolone binding. There was more binding of triamcinolone in omental than in subcutaneous abdominal adipose tissue when expressed per unit of protein and per unit cell surface area but not when expressed per adipocyte.