title: Back to the heart: the protective role of adiponectin.
abstract: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death worldwide and the prevalence of obesity and diabetes are increasing. In obesity, adipose tissue increases the secretion of bioactive mediators (adipokines) that may represent a key mechanism linking obesity to CVD. Adiponectin, extensively studied in metabolic diseases, exerts anti-diabetic, anti-atherogenic and anti-inflammatory activities. Due to these positive actions, the role of adiponectin in cardiovascular protection has been evaluated in recent years. In particular, for its potential therapeutic benefits in humans, adiponectin has become the subject of intense preclinical research. In the cardiovascular context, understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the adiponectin system, throughout its secretion, regulation and signaling, is critical for designing new drugs that target adiponectin system molecules. This review focused on recent advances regarding molecular mechanisms related to protective effects of the adiponectin system on both cardiac and vascular compartments and its potential use as a target for therapeutic intervention of CVD.
authors.affiliation: Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Institute of Clinical Physiology, Laboratory of Cardiovascular Biochemistry, Pisa 56100, Italy. Electronic address: chiara.caselli@ifc.cnr.it.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Caselli
authors.affiliation: Scuola Superiore S. Anna, Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: D'Amico
authors.affiliation: Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Institute of Clinical Physiology, Laboratory of Cardiovascular Biochemistry, Pisa 56100, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cabiati
authors.affiliation: Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Institute of Clinical Physiology, Laboratory of Cardiovascular Biochemistry, Pisa 56100, Italy.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Prescimone
authors.affiliation: Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Institute of Clinical Physiology, Laboratory of Cardiovascular Biochemistry, Pisa 56100, Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Del Ry
authors.affiliation: Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Institute of Clinical Physiology, Laboratory of Cardiovascular Biochemistry, Pisa 56100, Italy.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Giannessi
mesh_terms: D052242:Adiponectin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000378:metabolism; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism; D009765:Obesity / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D052242:Adiponectin
keywords: Adiponectin; Adiponectin system; Cardiovascular protection; Therapeutic target