Adiponectin and the metabolic syndrome: mechanisms mediating risk for metabolic and cardiovascular disease.
OBJECTIVE
Adiponectin is secreted exclusively by adipocytes, aggregates in multimeric forms, and circulates at high concentrations in blood. This review summarizes recent studies highlighting cellular effects of adiponectin and its role in human lipid metabolism and atherosclerosis.


RESULTS
Adiponectin is an important autocrine/paracrine factor in adipose tissue that modulates differentiation of preadipocytes and favors formation of mature adipocytes. It also functions as an endocrine factor, influencing whole-body metabolism via effects on target organs. Adiponectin multimers exert differential biologic effects, with the high-molecular-weight multimer associated with favorable metabolic effects (i.e. greater insulin sensitivity, reduced visceral adipose mass, reduced plasma triglycerides, and increased HDL-cholesterol). Adiponectin influences plasma lipoprotein levels by altering the levels and activity of key enzymes (lipoprotein lipase and hepatic lipase) responsible for the catabolism of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins and HDL. It thus influences atherosclerosis by affecting the balance of atherogenic and antiatherogenic lipoproteins in plasma, and by modulating cellular processes involved in foam cell formation.


CONCLUSIONS
Recent studies emphasize the role played by adiponectin in the homeostasis of adipose tissue and in the pathogenesis of the metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, and atherosclerosis. These pleiotropic effects make it an attractive therapeutic target for obesity-related conditions.
Lara-Castro
Cristina
C
Department of Nutrition Sciences, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 35294, USA.
Fu
Yuchang
Y
Chung
B Hong
BH
Garvey
W Timothy
WT
D052242:Adiponectin / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000378:metabolism*; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000378:metabolism; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000378:metabolism; D005487:Foam Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D008055:Lipids / Q000737:chemistry; D053858:Metabolic Networks and Pathways; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D008660:Metabolism; D008954:Models, Biological; D009765:Obesity / Q000378:metabolism
D052242:Adiponectin; D008055:Lipids; D002784:Cholesterol