title: Adiponectin in insulin resistance: lessons from translational research.
abstract: Adiponectin is an adipose tissue-secreted endogenous insulin sensitizer, which plays a key role as a mediator of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma action. Adiponectin alters glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity, exhibits antiinflammatory and antiatherogenic properties, and has been linked to several malignancies. Circulating concentrations of adiponectin are determined primarily by genetic factors, nutrition, exercise, and abdominal adiposity. Adiponectin concentrations are lower in subjects with obesity, metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular disease. Adiponectin knockout mice manifest glucose intolerance, insulin resistance, and hyperlipidemia and tend to develop malignancies especially when on high-fat diets. Animal studies have also shown beneficial effects of adiponectin in rodents in vivo. Circulating concentrations of adiponectin are lower in patients with diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and several malignancies. Studies to date provide promising results for the diagnostic and therapeutic role of adiponectin in obesity, insulin resistance, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and obesity-associated malignancies.
authors.affiliation: Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Florencia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ziemke
authors.forename: Christos S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Mantzoros
mesh_terms: D017667:Adipocytes / Q000502:physiology; D052242:Adiponectin / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000502:physiology*; D002001:Adipose Tissue, Brown / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000502:physiology*; D007333:Insulin Resistance / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008970:Molecular Weight; D047495:PPAR gamma / Q000502:physiology; D054419:Receptors, Adiponectin / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D057170:Translational Research, Biomedical / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D052242:Adiponectin; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D007328:Insulin; D047495:PPAR gamma; D054419:Receptors, Adiponectin