title: Adiponectin, an unlocking adipocytokine.
abstract: A large number of studies revealed that adiponectin, a protein secreted specifically by adipose tissue, exhibits antiinflammatory, antiatherogenic, and antidiabetic properties. This 247-amino acid protein contains four differentiable domains and exists in five different configurations, which binds three kinds of receptors. The plasma adiponectin concentration is at amazing microgram level and the gender difference is very clear. Obese subjects showed decreased plasma level of adiponectin while exercise seems to restore it. Many researchers demonstrated that it could be a reliable biomarker for multiple diseases. However, there is controversy about its role in inflammation since its plasma concentration decreases in some inflammatory diseases and increases under some other inflammatory conditions. The signal transduction pathway is still not very clear yet. Could adiponectin be a promising drug target?
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy, Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, China.
authors.forename: Yiyi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Keli
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Xun
authors.forename: Changguang
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Haiyu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Huichang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bi
authors.forename: Xiuping
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Yitao
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D052242:Adiponectin / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000378:metabolism / Q000517:prevention & control; D015444:Exercise; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000378:metabolism / Q000517:prevention & control; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000378:metabolism; D009765:Obesity / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism; D020033:Protein Isoforms; D054419:Receptors, Adiponectin / Q000378:metabolism*; D012737:Sex Factors; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects; D009626:Terminology as Topic
chemical_list: D052242:Adiponectin; D015415:Biomarkers; D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D020033:Protein Isoforms; D054419:Receptors, Adiponectin