Effects of dexamethasone on human skeletal muscle and adipose tissue

Context: Glucocorticoids are frequently prescribed drugs with important side-effects such as glucose intolerance and tissue remodelling. Objective: The goal was to explore the molecular basis of the crosstalk between adipose tissue and skeletal muscle during short term glucocorticoid treatment. Design and Intervention: Healthy male subjects were assigned to a 4-d treatment with dexamethasone at 4mg/d. Main Outcome Measures: Primary outcome measures were gene expression profiling of adipose tissue and skeletal muscle. Urinary cortisol and metabolic biochemistry were also assessed. Dexamethasone was provided in 0.5 mg tablets as 4mg per day during 4 days to male healthy volunteers. Skeletal muscle and adipose tissue biopsies were obtained at the beginning and at the end of the protocol. The transcriptome analysis compared before vs. after the 4 days dexamethasone treatment using a dye swap design and whole genome 4x44k oligonucleotide arrays (Agilent Technologies).