Martínez-Hernández JE, Suárez-Cuenca JA, Martínez-Meraz M, López-Rivera IM, Pérez-Cabeza de Vaca R, Mondragón-Terán P, Alcaraz-Estrada SL

Language: Spanish
References: 0
Page: 389-396
PDF size: 214.24 Kb.

ABSTRACT

Adiponectin is an insulin-sensitizing and anti-inflammatory fat cell hormone that has immense potential as a therapeutic target for a multitude of obesity-associated diseases including type 2 diabetes, atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases. The adiponectin gene is located in chromosome 3q27, a susceptibility locus for type 2 diabetes and metabolic disorders. Increased circulating levels of adiponectin are associated with improvement in the metabolic syndrome and reductions are strongly predictive of diabetes risk. Extensive efforts have been made to understand how adiponectin levels can be elevated. The complex posttranslational processing and secretion of adiponectin provides a rich area where pharmacologic manipulation may be developed to increase adiponectin levels in humans. Circulating adiponectin levels are increased by many commonly used drugs, such as statins, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors, and thiazolidinediones providing an important opportunity to gain insight into the mechanisms underlying their effects. This review describes the relationship among obesity, type 2 diabetes and adiponectin, we discuss the specific functions in tissues and cells of adiponectin, with emphasis on the regulation of adiponectin signaling pathways, as well as possible pathways of signaling involved in metabolic regulation.