Immunological evidence for the presence of hormone-sensitive lipase in rat tissues other than adipose tissue

A polyclonal rabbit antibody was used to detect hormone-sensitive lipase in rat organs other than white adipose tissue. Inhibition of tissue diacylglycerol lipase activity by the anti-hormone-sensitive lipase, and by NaF, Hg2+ and diisopropyl fluorophosphate, known inhibitors of the hormone-sensitive lipase, demonstrated its presence in the adrenals, ovaries, testes, heart and skeletal muscle, but not in the liver and kidneys. After enrichment by immunoprecipitation an immunoreactive protein, corresponding to the adipose tissue hormone-sensitive lipase 84 kDa subunit, and some additional, higher Mrapp proteins, were detected by Western blotting in the same tissues. The adipose tissue contained greater than 80% of the total hormone-sensitive lipase, with 5-10- and 50-100-fold lower specific activity in the steroid-producing and the muscle tissues, respectively.