Excess 11 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11 beta-HSD1) may be implicated in the development of obesity related metabolic disorders. The present study measured the expression level of 11 beta-HSD1 in visceral adipose tissues from 23 patients undergoing abdominal operation. Correlation of 11 beta-HSD1 expression with BMI, waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), HOMA-IR, and serum lipids was evaluated by spearman correlation analysis. High-fat diet-induced obese (DIO) rats were orally dosed with BVT.2733 for 4 weeks. Weight, plasma insulin, and lipids were detected at the end of the treatment. The effects of 11 beta-HSD1 inhibition on the key insulin-signaling cascade and adipocytokines were measured by western blot and ELISA respectively. 11 beta-HSD1 was increased in patients with central obesity, the expression level of which was closely related with WHR (r = 0.5851), BMI (r = 0.4952), and HOMA-IR (r = 0.4637). Obesity related insulin resistance in high-fat DIO rats, as reflected by a marked decrease in IRS-1, IRS-2, GLUT4, and PI3K, could be attenuated by 11 beta-HSD1 inhibition. Furthermore, the down-regulation of 11 beta-HSD1 could correct the disordered profiles of adipocytokines including adiponectin, IL-6, and TNF-alpha. These findings indicated that 11 beta-HSD1 inhibition can give a potential benefit in reducing obesity and lowering insulin resistance by modulating the insulin-signaling pathway and adipocytokine production. (C) 2016 Published by Elsevier Inc.