Adenylate cyclase of multiple lipomata. Regional differences in adrenaline-responsiveness.

Multiple symmetric lipomatosis has been proposed to be associated with impaired catecholamine-responsiveness of hypertrophic adipose tissue at the level of beta-adrenergic receptors or adenylate cyclase respectively. We have studied the regulation of the adenylate cyclase by guanine nucleotides and adrenaline in 5 subjects suffering from multiple encapsulated lipomata. In the presence of GTP (0.1 mmol/l) basal adenylate cyclase activity averaged 0.5 +/- 0.3 nmol cAMP/mg protein/10 minutes in normal adipose tissue and 1.0 +/- 0.4 nmol cAMP/mg protein/10 minutes in hypertrophic adipose tissue respectively. The synthetic GTP-analogue GMP(PNP) (0.1 mmol/l) increased non-stimulated activity by about 100% in both tissues. Adrenaline (1 mumol/l-1 mmol/l) caused a dose-dependent increase of enzymic activity in both tissues which had a maximum of 130% above basal levels in the presence of GTP and of 300% in the presence of GMP(PNP) respectively. In one of the six subjects suffering from gluteal lipomata normal adipose tissue was obtained from the gluteal as well as the abdominal region on two occasions. Maximally effective concentrations of adrenaline (1 mmol/l) induced a 3-fold increase of enzymic activity in abdominal membranes compared with about a 1.7- and 1.75-fold increase in normal and lipomatous tissue from the gluteal region. The results show that encapsulated lipomata contain a normally reactive adenylate cyclase system.