Adiponectin: The Wonder Hormone in Therapy of Obesity

Abstract

Adiponectin is a crucial hormone and adipocytokine secreted mainly by adipocytes of adipose tissue. Insulin plays a central role in the synthesis of adiponectin. Adiponectin plays an important role in insulin sensitivity by increasing insulin release from pancreas, increasing basal glucose and insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in fat tissues, preventing hepatic glucose production, increasing fatty acid oxidation and storage of fat in subcutaneous tissues of liver or skeletal muscle which reduces visceral fat mass and systemic inflammation, improved glucose and fat metabolism and increased insulin sensitivity. Therefore increased expression of adiponectin is associated with therapeutic effect on treatment of a wide range of metabolic diseases like diabetes mellitus, obesity, inflammatory and cardiovascular diseases. Alterations in adiponectin levels have been demonstrated to directly influence lipid and glucose metabolism that in turn increase lipids, free fatty acids and inflammatory cytokines synthesis. Recent therapeutic approaches have focused on the indirect upregulation of adiponectin through various therapeutic strategies and/or lifestyle modifications. Loss of weight,dietary modification, lifestyle changes and/or medications including orlistat, sibutramine, rimonabant, increase adiponectin levels.Insulin sensitizers, like thiazolidinediones, and lipid-lowering composition like statins and fibrates, upregulate adiponectin and may influence Insulin Résistance. These approaches ushers a new era in the management of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus and metabolic syndrome. The current review focuses on these new insights of the therapeutic role of adiponectin to reckon with.