Relationships between cyclic AMP levels and lipolysis in fat cells after isoproterenol and forskolin stimulation.

Using the flask-incubated fat cell system, alterations in glycerol release (lipolysis) and cAMP accumulation were determined after incubation with isoproterenol or forskolin. These agents caused concentration-dependent increases in both cAMP accumulation and lipolysis. The maximum responses to forskolin for each variable were greater than the corresponding responses to isoproterenol. The maximum responses to isoproterenol for both cAMP accumulation and glycerol release were increased by the presence of either adenosine deaminase or theophylline. Under these conditions, high concentrations of isoproterenol continued to increase cAMP accumulation while having no further effect on lipolysis. These results support the concept that the maximum response to isoproterenol alone was limited by the accumulation of cAMP within the cells. The maximum response to isoproterenol in the presence of either theophylline or adenosine deaminase (and to forskolin) was limited by some step in the lipolytic process distal to cAMP accumulation. The relationships between cAMP levels and lipolysis for isoproterenol and forskolin were found to be different. A 6-fold increase in cAMP levels was sufficient to maximally increase lipolysis with isoproterenol, whereas the maximum lipolytic response to forskolin was associated with a 20-fold increase in cAMP levels. A plot of log cAMP vs. glycerol release resulted in linear relationships for both drugs. The slope of the line for isoproterenol was significantly greater than that for forskolin. At any given concentration of cAMP the corresponding lipolytic response was greater for isoproterenol than for forskolin.