title: [Novel strategies that target hepatokines for treatment of type 2 diabetes].
abstract: The liver may maintain systemic homeostasis by releasing secretory proteins into the blood stream. In fact, comprehensive gene expression analysis revealed that the liver in humans expresses various kinds of genes encoding secretory proteins. Recently, function-unknown liver-derived secretory proteins have been termed as hepatokines. Using comprehensive gene expression analyses, we have identified selenoprotein P(SeP) as a novel hepatokine that elevates plasma glucose levels by inducing insulin resistance. RNA interference-mediated knockdown of SeP in the liver improved insulin resistance and hyperglycemia in type 2 diabetic mice, suggesting that SeP is a novel therapeutic target for type 2 diabetes. Further functional characterization of hepatokines might provide novel diagnostic and therapeutic targets for the other diseases except diabetes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Disease Control and Homeostasis, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Science.
authors.forename: Hirofumi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Misu
authors.forename: Toshinari
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takamura
authors.forename: Shuichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kaneko
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D051149:Selenoprotein P / Q000096:biosynthesis*
chemical_list: D051149:Selenoprotein P