title: Role of growth factors in control of pancreatic beta cell mass: focus on betatrophin.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Betatrophin is a newly described hormone, which potently stimulates beta cell replication in mice. This discovery has engendered great hope that it could prove clinically important in the treatment of type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Betatrophin, a 198-amino acid protein secreted by liver and adipose tissue, stimulates growth of pancreatic beta cell mass in insulin-resistant mice. Betatrophin has previously been named RIFL, lipasin, and ANGPLT8, and its salutory effects on lipid metabolism have been described in mouse and human studies. Serum betatrophin levels in humans correlate with improved adipose tissue lipid storage and lower serum triglyceride levels in the fed state, but do not correlate with insulin resistance or carbohydrate tolerance in humans. Betatrophin has not yet been shown to have an effect on beta cell replication in human pancreatic islets.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Many endocrine and paracrine factors, of which betatrophin is the newest described, increase beta cell mass in murine models. None of these factors, including betatrophin, have displayed the same activity in clinical studies. This may reflect a profound species difference in beta cell regeneration pathways in mice and humans.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: Lynne L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Levitsky
authors.forename: Goli
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ardestani
authors.forename: David B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Rhoads
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000091306:Angiopoietin-Like Protein 8; D000075802:Angiopoietin-like Proteins; D000818:Animals; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000378:metabolism*; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000378:metabolism; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D050417:Insulin-Secreting Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D050356:Lipid Metabolism / Q000187:drug effects*; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D036361:Peptide Hormones / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: C576683:ANGPTL8 protein, human; C000595899:ANGPTL8 protein, mouse; D000091306:Angiopoietin-Like Protein 8; D000075802:Angiopoietin-like Proteins; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D036361:Peptide Hormones