Adiponectin as a potential key player inmetabolic syndrome Insights into atherosclerosis, diabetes and cancer

摘要

The adipose tissue produces and secretes many bioactive substances, collectively referred to as adipocytokines Adiponectin is an adipocytokine, which we identified by screening the adipose-specific genes from human fat Plasma concentration of adiponectin is reduced in visceral obesity Adiponectin accumulated in injured vascular wall, and exhibited anti-atherogenic moieties. Adiponectin knockout mice exhibit a more severe insulin resistance. The human mutation of adiponectin gene accompanying hypoadiponectinemia is strongly associated with both atherosclerotic vascular diseases and type 2 diabetes.We conclude that hypoadiponectinemia stands upstream of the pathophysiology of metabolic syndrome leading to atherosclerosis.