Halogenated bisphenol A derivatives potently inhibit human and rat 11ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 1: Structure-activity relationship and molecular docking.

Chlorinated bisphenol A (BPA) derivatives are formed during chlorination process of drinking water, whereas bisphenol S (BPS) and brominated BPA and BPS (TBBPA and TBBPS) were synthesized for many industrial uses such as fire retardants. However, the effect of halogenated BPA and BPS derivatives on glucocorticoid metabolizing enzyme 11ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 1 (11ß-HSD1) remains unclear. The inhibitory effects of 6 BPA derivatives in the inhibition of human and rat 11ß-HSD1 were investigated. The potencies for inhibition on human 11ß-HSD1 were TBBPA (IC50, 3.87 µM) = monochloro BPA (MCBPA, 4.08 µM) = trichloro BPA (TrCBPA, 4.41 µM) > tetrachloro BPA (TCBPA, 9.75 µM) > TBBPS (>100 µM) = BPS (>100 µM), and those for rat 11ß-HSD1 were TrCBPA (IC50, 2.76 µM) = MCBPA (3.75 µM) > TBBPA (39.58 µM) > TCBPA = TBBPS = BPS. All these BPA derivatives are mixed/competitive inhibitors of both human and rat enzymes. Molecular docking studies predict that MCBPA, TrCBPA, TCBPA, and TBBPA all bind to the active site of human 11ß-HSD1, forming hydrogen bonds with catalytic residue Ser170 except TCBPA. Regression of the lowest binding energy with IC50 values revealed a significant inverse linear regression. In conclusion, halogenated BPA derivatives are mostly potent inhibitors of human and rat 11ß-HSD1, and there is structure-dependent inhibition.

Triterpenoids with multi-skeletons as 11 ß -HSD1 inhibitors from Euphorbia sikkimensis.

An exploration for 11ß-HSD1 inhibitors from the whole plant of Euphorbia sikkimensis led to the identification of 10 undescribed triterpenoids 1-10, as well as 7 known triterpenoids (11-17). Their structures were determined by a combination of spectrum elucidations, conformational analyses and quantum chemical calculations. (23E)-25-methoxy-eupha-14,23-diene-3ß,7α-diol (1) and (23E)-3ß-dihydroxy-27-noreupha-7,23-diene-25-one (2) are two rare cases that feature a rearrangement of Me-30 (14 â†’ 8) and a degradation of Me-27, respectively, in the euphane-type triterpenoid family. It is an interesting phenomenon that (23E)-3ß-hydroxy-25-methoxy-eupha-8,23-diene-7-one (4) and (23E)-3ß-hydroxy-25-methoxy-lanost-8,23-diene-7-one (5) coexist in the same plant, sharing the same planar structure but belonging to different structural types of triterpenoids. Compounds 3-5 and 14 show significant inhibitory activity against 11ß-HSD1 with IC50 values of 6.50 ± 0.22, 1.31 ± 0.34, 9.38 ± 0.64, and 8.27 ± 0.33 µM, respectively. The structure-activity relationship study shows that the euphane-type triterpenoids exhibit the best inhibitory activity, which is in accord with the fact of the euphane-type triterpenoids having the best ability to bind to the active pocket of 11ß-HSD1 in the molecular docking experiments.

Identification of 11ß-HSD1 inhibitors through enhanced sampling methods.

Aminoarylbenzosuberene (AAB) molecules were chosen for in silico analysis to develop effective and more competent 11ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (11ß-HSD1) protein inhibitors. The AAB4 molecule was shown to have stronger interactions and binding affinity than standard inhibitors (co-crystallized molecules). These results were based on conventional, steered and enhanced umbrella sampling simulations.

Multi-Targeted Molecular Docking, Pharmacokinetics, and Drug-Likeness Evaluation of Okra-Derived Ligand Abscisic Acid Targeting Signaling Proteins Involved in the Development of Diabetes.

Diabetes mellitus is a global threat affecting millions of people of different age groups. In recent years, the development of naturally derived anti-diabetic agents has gained popularity. Okra is a common vegetable containing important bioactive components such as abscisic acid (ABA). ABA, a phytohormone, has been shown to elicit potent anti-diabetic effects in mouse models. Keeping its anti-diabetic potential in mind, in silico study was performed to explore its role in inhibiting proteins relevant to diabetes mellitus- 11ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (11ß-HSD1), aldose reductase, glucokinase, glutamine-fructose-6-phosphate amidotransferase (GFAT), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPAR-gamma), and Sirtuin family of NAD(+)-dependent protein deacetylases 6 (SIRT6). A comparative study of the ABA-protein docked complex with already known inhibitors of these proteins relevant to diabetes was compared to explore the inhibitory potential. Calculation of molecular binding energy (ΔG), inhibition constant (pKi), and prediction of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics properties were performed. The molecular docking investigation of ABA with 11-HSD1, GFAT, PPAR-gamma, and SIRT6 revealed considerably low binding energy (ΔG from -8.1 to -7.3 Kcal/mol) and predicted inhibition constant (pKi from 6.01 to 5.21 µM). The ADMET study revealed that ABA is a promising drug candidate without any hazardous effect following all current drug-likeness guidelines such as Lipinski, Ghose, Veber, Egan, and Muegge.

Novel 2-(Adamantan-1-ylamino)Thiazol-4(5H)-One Derivatives and Their Inhibitory Activity towards 11ß-HSD1-Synthesis, Molecular Docking and In Vitro Studies.

A common mechanism in which glucocorticoids participate is suggested in the pathogenesis of such metabolic diseases as obesity, metabolic syndrome, or Cushing's syndrome. The enzyme involved in the control of the availability of cortisol, the active form of the glucocorticoid for the glucocorticoid receptor, is 11ß-HSD1. Inhibition of 11ß-HSD1 activity may bring beneficial results for the alleviation of the course of metabolic diseases such as metabolic syndrome, Cushing's syndrome or type 2 diabetes. In this work, we obtained 10 novel 2-(adamantan-1-ylamino)thiazol-4(5H)-one derivatives containing different substituents at C-5 of thiazole ring and tested their activity towards inhibition of two 11ß-HSD isoforms. For most of them, over 50% inhibition of 11ß-HSD1 and less than 45% inhibition of 11ß-HSD2 activity at the concentration of 10 µM was observed. The binding energies found during docking simulations for 11ß-HSD1 correctly reproduced the experimental IC50 values for analyzed compounds. The most active compound 2-(adamantan-1-ylamino)-1-thia-3-azaspiro[4.5]dec-2-en-4-one (3i) inhibits the activity of isoform 1 by 82.82%. This value is comparable to the known inhibitor-carbenoxolone. The IC50 value is twice the value determined by us for carbenoxolone, however inhibition of the enzyme isoform 2 to a lesser extent makes it an excellent material for further tests.

A Novel N-Tert-Butyl Derivatives of Pseudothiohydantoin as Potential Target in Anti-Cancer Therapy.

Tumors are currently more and more common all over the world; hence, attempts are being made to explain the biochemical processes underlying their development. The search for new therapeutic pathways, with particular emphasis on enzymatic activity and its modulation regulating the level of glucocorticosteroids, may contribute to the development and implementation of new therapeutic options in the treatment process. Our research focuses on understanding the role of 11ß-HSD1 and 11ß-HSD2 as factors involved in the differentiation and proliferation of neoplastic cells. In this work, we obtained the 9 novel N-tert-butyl substituted 2-aminothiazol-4(5H)-one (pseudothiohydantoin) derivatives, differing in the substituents at C-5 of the thiazole ring. The inhibitory activity and selectivity of the obtained derivatives in relation to two isoforms of 11ß-HSD were evaluated. The highest inhibitory activity for 11ß-HSD1 showed compound 3h, containing the cyclohexane substituent at the 5-position of the thiazole ring in the spiro system (82.5% at a conc. 10 µM). On the other hand, the derivative 3f with the phenyl substituent at C-5 showed the highest inhibition of 11ß-HSD2 (53.57% at a conc. of 10 µM). A low selectivity in the inhibition of 11ß-HSD2 was observed but, unlike 18ß-glycyrrhetinic acid, these compounds were found to inhibit the activity of 11ß-HSD2 to a greater extent than 11ß-HSD1, which makes them attractive for further research on their anti-cancer activity.

Mechanistic Insight on the Mode of Action of Colletoic Acid.

The natural product colletoic acid (CA) is a selective inhibitor of 11ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11ß-HSD1), which primarily converts cortisone to the active glucocorticoid (GC) cortisol. Here, CA's mode of action and its potential as a chemical tool to study intracellular GC signaling in adipogenesis are disclosed. 11ß-HSD1 biochemical studies of CA indicated that its functional groups at C-1, C-4, and C-9 were important for enzymatic activity; an X-ray crystal structure of 11ß-HSD1 bound to CA at 2.6 Å resolution revealed the nature of those interactions, namely, a close-fitting and favorable interactions between the constrained CA spirocycle and the catalytic triad of 11ß-HSD1. Structure-activity relationship studies culminated in the development of a superior CA analogue with improved target engagement. Furthermore, we demonstrate that CA selectively inhibits preadipocyte differentiation through 11ß-HSD1 inhibition, suppressing other relevant key drivers of adipogenesis (i.e., PPARγ, PGC-1α), presumably by negatively modulating the glucocorticoid signaling pathway. The combined findings provide an in-depth evaluation of the mode of action of CA and its potential as a tool compound to study adipose tissue and its implications in metabolic syndrome.

Discovery of Potent Inhibitors of 11ß-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase Type 1 Using a Novel Growth-Based Protocol of in Silico Screening and Optimization in CONTOUR.

With the continuous progress in ultralarge virtual libraries which are readily accessible, it is of great interest to explore this large chemical space for hit identification and lead optimization using reliable structure-based approaches. In this work, a novel growth-based screening protocol has been designed and implemented in the structure-based design platform CONTOUR. The protocol was used to screen the ZINC database in silico and optimize hits to discover 11ß-HSD1 inhibitors. In contrast to molecular docking, the virtual screening process makes significant improvements in computational efficiency without losing chemical equities through partitioning 1.8 million ZINC compounds into fragments, docking fragments to form key hydrogen bonds with anchor residues, reorganizing molecules into molecular fragment trees using matched fragments and common substructures, and then regrowing molecules with the help of developed intelligent growth features inside the protein binding site to find hits. The growth-base screening approach is validated by the high hit rate. A total of 50 compounds have been selected for testing; of these, 15 hits having diverse scaffolds are found to inhibit 11ß-HSD1 with IC50 values of less than 1 µM in a biochemical enzyme assay. The best hit which exhibits an enzyme IC50 of 33 nM is further developed to a novel series of bicyclic 11ß-HSD1 inhibitors with the best inhibition of enzyme IC50 of 3.1 nM. The final lead candidate exhibits IC50 values of 7.2 and 21 nM in enzyme and adipocyte assays, respectively, displayed greater than 1000-fold of selectivity over 11ß-HSD2 and two other related hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases, and can serve as good starting points for further optimization to develop clinical candidates.

A novel highly potent and selective 11ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 inhibitor, INU-101.

11ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11ß-HSD1) is a cortisol regenerating enzyme that amplifies tissue glucocorticoid levels, especially in the liver and adipose tissue. Knockout mice or a selective inhibitor of 11ß-HSD1 improves metabolic syndrome parameters in preclinical models and human clinical trials. Here, we evaluated the therapeutic potential of INU-101, a potent and selective oral inhibitor of 11ß-HSD1. The in vitro activity of 11ß-HSD1 was measured using the homogeneous time-resolved fluorescence (HTRF) assay. Differentiated adipocytes were used to evaluate the cellular 11ß-HSD1 activity. To determine the inhibitory effects on 11ß-HSD1 in tissues, we performed ex vivo studies using liver and adipose tissue isolated from C57BL/6 J mice and Cynomolgus monkeys. KKAy mice, ob/ob mice and ZDF rats were administered INU-101 to evaluate whether this compound ameliorated metabolic abnormalities in obese and diabetic animals. INU-101 had highly potent inhibitory activity in mouse, monkey and human 11ß-HSD1, derived from liver microsomes. The oral administration of INU-101 significantly inhibited 11ß-HSD1 activity in the liver and adipose tissue of mice and monkeys. In KKAy mice, ob/ob mice and ZDF rats, the oral administration of INU-101 enhanced insulin sensitivity and lowered the fasting blood glucose level. Furthermore, INU-101 treatment decreased the body weight and ameliorated an improved lipid profile in the diabetic mouse model. These results suggest that the 11ß-HSD1 inhibitor, INU-101 may serve as a novel drug candidate for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome.

11ß-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase Type 1 Inhibitor Development by Lentiviral Screening Based on Computational Modeling.

In this study, rat and human 11ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11ß-HSD1) have been cloned by lentiviral transduction and expressed by CHO-K1 cells. The results showed that recombinant plasmids contained R11bhsd1 or H11bhsd1 have been constructed, which is consistent with the gene bank respectively. A clone cell was selected with G418 and cultivated to express 11ß-HSD1. 11ß-HSD1 catalytic activity of rat and human were 99.5 and 98.7%, respectively, determined by scanning radiometer. And the cloned CHO-K1 cells expressed the protein of 11ß-HSD1 in a long-term and stable manner, which makes it suitable for screening 11ß-HSD1 inhibitor. The three-dimensional structure of 11ß-HSD1 was used for studying the interaction between inhibitor and enzyme by the binding poses predicted by AutoDock and LeDock software. The docking results revealed that compound 8 forms 2 hydrogen bonds with the residues of Gly-216 and Ile-218 in 11ß-HSD1, that is to say compound 8 maybe a good 11ß-HSD1 inhibitor. Moreover, C57BL/6 mice with R11bHsd1 overexpression had a higher body weight, glucose, total cholesterol, and triglyceride levels compared to the mice treated with an empty viral vector. The results might provide a beneficial foundation for selecting inhibitors of 11ß-HSD1 or for researching drug candidate mechanisms.

A novel derivatives of thiazol-4(5H)-one and their activity in the inhibition of 11ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1.

11ß-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11ß-HSD1) is an enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of inactive cortisone into physiologically active cortisol. Inhibiting the activity of this enzyme plays a key role in the treatment of Cushing's syndrome, metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. Therefore, new compounds that are selective inhibitors of this enzyme are constantly being looked for. In this work we present the synthesis of 2-(allylamino)thiazol-4(5H)-one derivatives by the reaction of N-allylthiourea with appropriate α-bromoesters. In the case of using of aliphatic α-bromoesters and α-bromo-ß-phenylesters, the reactions were carried out in a basic medium (sodium ethoxide) and the products were isolated with a yield of up to 68%. Derivatives containing spiro systems in which carbon C-5 of the thiazole ring is the linker atom were obtained in the presence of N,N-diisopropylethylamine. Some of the obtained compounds, at a concentration of 10 µM have activity in the inhibition of 11ß-HSD1 up to 71%. IC50 value for the most active compound: 2-(allylamino)-1-thia-3-azaspiro[4.5]dec-2-en-4-one is 2.5 µM. With a high degree of 11ß-HSD1 inhibition and a relatively large difference in the inhibition of 11ß-HSD1 and 11ß-HSD2 activity, this compound appears to be promising and should be subjected to further testing.

Exploring N-acyl-4-azatetracyclo[5.3.2.02,6.08,10]dodec-11-enes as 11ß-HSD1 Inhibitors.

We recently found that a cyclohexanecarboxamide derived from 4-azatetracyclo[5.3.2.02,6.08,10]dodec-11-ene displayed low nanomolar inhibition of 11ß-HSD1. In continuation of our efforts to discover potent and selective 11ß-HSD1 inhibitors, herein we explored several replacements for the cyclohexane ring. Some derivatives exhibited potent inhibitory activity against human 11ß-HSD1, although with low selectivity over the isoenzyme 11ß-HSD2, and poor microsomal stability.

Comparison of flavonoids and isoflavonoids to inhibit rat and human 11ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 1 and 2.

Many flavonoids and isoflavonoids have anti-diabetic effects in animal models. However, the mechanisms that are involved are generally unclear. Since 11ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases (HSD11Bs) play important roles in diabetes, we hypothesize that flavonoids and isoflavonoids may affect diabetes by targeting two isoforms of HSD11B differently. The inhibitory effects of flavonoids (apigenin and quercetin) and isoflavonoids [genistein and (±) equol] on rat and human HSD11B1 and HSD11B2 were analyzed. The potencies of inhibition on human HSD11B1 reductase was in the order of apigenin > quercetin > genistein > (±) equol, with IC50 values of 2.19, 5.36, 11.00, and over 100 µM, respectively. Genistein also inhibited rat HSD11B1 reductase with IC50 value of 24.58 µM, while other three chemicals showed no effects on the enzyme activity with IC50 values over 100 µM. However, apigenin and (±) equol did not inhibit human HSD11B2 at concentrations as high as 100 µM, while genistein and quercetin inhibited human HSD11B2 by 60% and 50% at 100 µM, respectively. The effective flavonoids and isoflavonoids are noncompetitive inhibitors of HSD11B1 when steroid substrates were used. Docking analysis showed that they bound to the steroid-binding site of the human HSD11B1. These data indicate that apigenin is a selective inhibitor of human HSD11B1 of two HSD11B isoforms, which may be useful in managing symptoms of the metabolic syndrome.

Is scaffold hopping a reliable indicator for the ability of computational methods to identify structurally diverse active compounds?

Computational scaffold hopping aims to identify core structure replacements in active compounds. To evaluate scaffold hopping potential from a principal point of view, regardless of the computational methods that are applied, a global analysis of conventional scaffolds in analog series from compound activity classes was carried out. The majority of analog series was found to contain multiple scaffolds, thus enabling the detection of intra-series scaffold hops among closely related compounds. More than 1000 activity classes were found to contain increasing proportions of multi-scaffold analog series. Thus, using such activity classes for scaffold hopping analysis is likely to overestimate the scaffold hopping (core structure replacement) potential of computational methods, due to an abundance of artificial scaffold hops that are possible within analog series.

Discovery of Clinical Candidate 2-((2S,6S)-2-Phenyl-6-hydroxyadamantan-2-yl)-1-(3'-hydroxyazetidin-1-yl)ethanone [BMS-816336], an Orally Active Novel Selective 11ß-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase Type 1 Inhibitor.

BMS-816336 (6n-2), a hydroxy-substituted adamantyl acetamide, has been identified as a novel, potent inhibitor against human 11ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11ß-HSD1) enzyme (IC50 3.0 nM) with >10000-fold selectivity over human 11ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 (11ß-HSD2). 6n-2 exhibits a robust acute pharmacodynamic effect in cynomolgus monkeys (ED50 0.12 mg/kg) and in DIO mice. It is orally bioavailable (%F ranges from 20 to 72% in preclinical species) and has a predicted pharmacokinetic profile of a high peak to trough ratio and short half-life in humans. This ADME profile met our selection criteria for once daily administration, targeting robust inhibition of 11ß-HSD1 enzyme for the first 12 h period after dosing followed by an "inhibition holiday" so that the potential for hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activation might be mitigated. 6n-2 was found to be well-tolerated in phase 1 clinical studies and represents a potential new treatment for type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and other human diseases modulated by glucocorticoid control.

A new cryptic host defense peptide identified in human 11-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase-1 ß-like: from in silico identification to experimental evidence.

BACKGROUND: Host defence peptides (HDPs) are evolutionarily conserved components of innate immunity. Human HDPs, produced by a variety of immune cells of hematopoietic and epithelial origin, are generally grouped into two families: beta structured defensins and variably-structured cathelicidins. We report the characterization of a very promising cryptic human HDP, here called GVF27, identified in 11-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase-1 ß-like protein. METHODS: Conformational analysis of GVF27 and its propensity to bind endotoxins were performed by NMR, Circular Dichroism, Fluorescence and Dynamic Light Scattering experiments. Crystal violet and WST-1 assays, ATP leakage measurement and colony counting procedures were used to investigate antimicrobial, anti-biofilm, cytotoxicity and hemolytic activities. Anti-inflammatory properties were evaluated by ELISA. RESULTS: GVF27 possesses significant antibacterial properties on planktonic cells and sessile bacteria forming biofilm, as well as promising dose dependent abilities to inhibit attachment or eradicate existing mature biofilm. It is unstructured in aqueous buffer, whereas it tends to assume a helical conformation in mimic membrane environments as well as it is able to bind lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and lipoteichoic acid (LTA). Notably it is not toxic towards human and murine cell lines and triggers a significant innate immune response by attenuating expression levels of pro-inflammatory interleukins and release of nitric oxide in LPS induced macrophages. CONCLUSION: Human GVF27 may offer significant advantages as leads for the design of human-specific therapeutics. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE: Human cryptic host defence peptides are naturally no immunogenic and for this they are a real alternative for solving the lack of effective antibiotics to control bacterial infections.

Novel small molecule 11ß-HSD1 inhibitor from the endophytic fungus Penicillium commune.

Two new phenone derivatives penicophenones A (1) and B (2), a new cyclic tetrapeptide penicopeptide A (3), and five known compounds were isolated from the culture broth of Penicillium commune, an endophytic fungus derived from Vitis vinifera. Compounds 1-3 were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic analyses including 1D and 2D NMR and HRESIMS. The absolute configurations of 1 and 3 were determined by comparing its ECD with related molecules and modified Marfey's analysis, respectively. Penicophenone A (1) possesses a rare benzannulated 6,6-spiroketal moiety, which is a new member of the unusual structural class with peniphenone A as the representative. Compound 3 exhibited significant inhibition activities against 11ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11ß-HSD1) in vitro and showed strong binding affinity to 11ß-HSD1. Moreover, compound 3 treatments decreased the lipid droplet accumulation associate with the inhibition of 11ß-HSD1 expression in differentiate-induced 3T3-L1 preadipocytes. Furthermore, the molecular docking demonstrated that compound 3 coordinated in the active site of 11ß-HSD1 is essential for the ability of diminishing the enzyme activity.

Development of a credible 3D-QSAR CoMSIA model and docking studies for a series of triazoles and tetrazoles containing 11ß-HSD1 inhibitors.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus is described by insulin resistance and high fasting blood glucose. Increased levels of 11ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11ß-HSD1) enzyme result in insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome. Inhibition of 11ß-HSD1 decreases glucose production and increases hepatic insulin sensitivity. Use of selective 11ß-HSD1 inhibitors could prove to be an effective strategy for the treatment of the disease. It was decided to identify the essential structural features required by any compound to possess 11ß-HSD1 inhibitory activity. A dataset of 139 triazoles and tetrazoles having 11ß-HSD1 inhibitory activity was used for the development of a 3D-QSAR model. The best comparative molecular field analysis (CoMFA) model was generated with databased alignment, which was further used for comparative molecular similarity indices analysis (CoMSIA). The optimal CoMSIA model showed [Formula: see text] = 0.809 with five components, [Formula: see text] = 0.931, SEE = 0.323 and F-value = 249.126. The CoMSIA model offered better prediction than the CoMFA model with [Formula: see text] = 0.522 and 0.439, respectively, indicating that the CoMSIA model appeared to be a better one for the prediction of activity for the newly designed 11ß-HSD1 inhibitors. The selectivity aspect of 11ß-HSD1 over 11ß-HSD2 was studied with the help of docking studies.

Hepatic and visceral adipose tissue 11ßHSD1 expressions are markers of body weight loss after bariatric surgery.

OBJECTIVE: Cortisolemia and 11ßHSD1 in liver and adipose tissue are altered in obesity. However, their participation in the development of obesity remains unclear. This study analyzed these parameters in the transition from morbid to type 1 obesity after bariatric surgery. METHODS: A group of 34 patients with morbid obesity and 22 nonobese subjects were recruited. Initial hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) basal activity and 11ßHSD1 mRNA expression in liver, subcutaneous (SAT), and visceral adipose tissue (VAT) were evaluated. A year after bariatric surgery (weight loss of 48 kg), these parameters were reappraised in plasma, SAT, and liver. RESULTS: Body weight loss was accompanied by a downshift in basal HPA activity and 11ßHSD1 expression in SAT. In patients with morbid obesity, 11ßHSD1 expression correlated positively with BMI in VAT and negatively in liver at 6 and 12 months after surgery. In SAT, a correlation was observed with body weight only when patients showed type 1 obesity. Insulin, glucose, and HOMA correlated positively with all the HPA indicators and 11ßHSD1 expression in SAT. CONCLUSIONS: Body weight loss after bariatric surgery is accompanied by a downshift in basal HPA activity. Hepatic and VAT 11ßHSD1 expressions in morbid obesity are predictors of body weight loss.