title: Adiponectin and colorectal cancer.
abstract: Colorectal cancer is an obesity-related malignancy. Adiponectin is an adipokine produced exclusively by adipose tissue, and its concentration in the serum is reduced in obesity. A low serum level of adiponectin is associated with an increased risk of various types of malignancies including colorectal cancer. These facts suggest that the epidemiological link between obesity and cancer may have a significant association with adiponectin. Although numerous studies of colorectal cancer have been reported, the results are conflicting about the anti-cancer effect of adiponectin, and how adiponectin affects carcinogenesis or cancer development remains controversial. Because adiponectin has multiple systemic effects and exists as a high serum concentration protein, the main role of adiponectin should be regulation of homeostasis, and it would not likely act as an anti-cancerous hormone. However, as epidemiological evidence shows, a low adiponectin level may be a basic risk factor for colorectal cancer. We speculate that when the colonic epithelium is stimulated or damaged by another carcinogen under the condition of a low adiponectin level, carcinogenesis is promoted and cancer development is facilitated. In this report, we summarize recent findings of the correlation between adiponectin and colorectal cancer and investigate the effect of adiponectin on colorectal cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Oncology, The University of Tokyo, Hongo7-3-1, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8655, Japan. otanik-sur@h.u-tokyo.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Kensuke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Otani
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Oncology, The University of Tokyo, Hongo7-3-1, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8655, Japan.
authors.forename: Soichiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ishihara
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Oncology, The University of Tokyo, Hongo7-3-1, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8655, Japan.
authors.forename: Hironori
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yamaguchi
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Oncology, The University of Tokyo, Hongo7-3-1, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8655, Japan.
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Murono
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Oncology, The University of Tokyo, Hongo7-3-1, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8655, Japan.
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yasuda
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Oncology, The University of Tokyo, Hongo7-3-1, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8655, Japan.
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nishikawa
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Oncology, The University of Tokyo, Hongo7-3-1, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8655, Japan.
authors.forename: Toshiaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Oncology, The University of Tokyo, Hongo7-3-1, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8655, Japan.
authors.forename: Tomomichi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kiyomatsu
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Oncology, The University of Tokyo, Hongo7-3-1, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8655, Japan.
authors.forename: Keisuke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hata
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Oncology, The University of Tokyo, Hongo7-3-1, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8655, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazushige
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kawai
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Oncology, The University of Tokyo, Hongo7-3-1, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8655, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nozawa
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Oncology, The University of Tokyo, Hongo7-3-1, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8655, Japan.
authors.forename: Toshiaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Watanabe
mesh_terms: D055372:AMP-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D052242:Adiponectin / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006706:Homeostasis / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D012307:Risk Factors; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D052242:Adiponectin; D055372:AMP-Activated Protein Kinases
keywords: Adiponectin; Colorectal cancer; Obesity