Effect of moderate alcohol consumption on adiponectin, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and insulin sensitivity.
OBJECTIVE
Epidemiological studies suggest that moderate alcohol consumers have enhanced insulin sensitivity and a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes. Adiponectin, an adipocyte-derived plasma protein, has been found to be negatively associated with adiposity and positively associated with insulin sensitivity. Moderate alcohol consumption may increase adiponectin, which in turn causes a decrease of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha. A decreased TNF-alpha level may consequently increase insulin sensitivity.


METHODS
To test this hypothesis, we performed a randomized crossover partially diet-controlled study. A total of 23 healthy middle-aged male subjects consumed daily four glasses of whisky (40 g ethanol) or tap water with dinner during two successive periods of 17 days.


RESULTS
Moderate alcohol consumption increased plasma adiponectin level (11%; P = 0.0002) but did not affect plasma TNF-alpha level. An increase in insulin sensitivity index was observed in an insulin-resistant subgroup (21%; P = 0.11), which positively correlated with the relative alcohol-induced increase in plasma adiponectin level (r = 0.73, P = 0.02).


CONCLUSIONS
The experimental results are in agreement with observational data. Moderate alcohol consumption improved insulin sensitivity in relatively insulin-resistant middle-aged men, an effect that may be mediated through alcohol-induced increases in adiponectin.
Sierksma
Aafje
A
Department of Nutritional Physiology, Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research Nutrition and Food Research, Zeist, The Netherlands.
Patel
Hamina
H
Ouchi
Noriyuki
N
Kihara
Shinji
S
Funahashi
Tohru
T
Heine
Robert J
RJ
Grobbee
Diederick E
DE
Kluft
Cornelis
C
Hendriks
Henk F J
HF
D052242:Adiponectin; D000368:Aged; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000097:blood*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D015309:Glucose Clamp Technique; D006801:Humans; D006946:Hyperinsulinism; D007328:Insulin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007333:Insulin Resistance / Q000502:physiology*; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011506:Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism*
D052242:Adiponectin; D007328:Insulin; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D011506:Proteins; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha