Increased protein and mRNA expression of resistin after dexamethasone administration

Abstract Synthetic glucocorticoids such as dexamethasone are widely used to treat a variety of inflammatory and autoimmune conditions, but they may induce adverse events including hyperglycemia. To shed light on the effect and action mechanism of dexamethasone, we examined the alterations of gene expression levels caused by dexamethasone. Microarray analysis was performed on whole blood collected from 24 physically healthy subjects at baseline and after dexamethasone administration. The expression levels of resistin mRNA were found to be significantly increased after the dexamethasone administration. In a separate sample of 12 subjects, we examined plasma resistin protein levels and found that they were increased after dexamethasone administration. Furthermore, the plasma mRNA and protein levels of resistin were significantly higher in individuals who carried the A allele of RETN single nucleotide polymorphism rs3219175 than in those who did not carry the allele. There was no significant interaction between the genotype and dexamethasone administration. No significant correlation was found between plasma levels of cortisol and resistin. Consistent with previous studies, the genotype of RETN rs3219175 was a strong determinant of resistin levels. The present study showed that oral administration of dexamethasone increases the protein and mRNA levels of resistin irrespective of the rs3219175 genotype.