Hypoadiponectinemia: A Link between Visceral Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome

Abstract

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) represents a combination of cardiometabolic risk factors, including visceral obesity, glucose intolerance or type 2 diabetes, elevated triglycerides, reduced HDL cholesterol, and hypertension. MetS is rapidly increasing in prevalence worldwide as a consequence of the “epidemic” obesity, with a considerable impact on the global incidence of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. At present, there is a growing interest on the role of visceral fat accumulation in the occurrence of MetS. In this review, the effects of adipocytokines and other proinflammatory factors produced by fat accumulation on the occurrence of the MetS have been also emphasized. Accordingly, the “hypoadiponectinemia” has been proposed as the most interesting new hypothesis to explain the pathophysiology of MetS.

Energy restriction ameliorates metabolic syndrome-induced cavernous tissue structural modifications in aged rats

“…This peptide increases glucose uptake, reduces gluconeogenesis and lipogenesis, and enhances fat β-oxidation (Kadowaki et al 2008). In contrast, circulating levels of adiponectin are reduced in obesity and MetS (Di Chiara et al 2012), antedating insulin resistance (Blouet et al 2006;Pajvani and Scherer 2003), a consequence also related to the consumption of diets rich in saturated fatty acids (Razny et al 2011). Coherently with this point, adiponectin levels were decreased in HFD animals and substantially increased in ER animals at all ages; they inversely correlated with WAT and respective different fractions, and with AI and HOMA-IR as well.…”

"May Adiponectin be considered as a Novel Cardiometabolic Biomarker?"

“…Since its discovery, numerous experimental and clinical studies have demonstrated that ADPN has antiatherogenic, anti-diabetic and anti-inflammatory properties. However, plasma adiponectin levels are low in subjects with visceral fat accumulation and it seems to play an important role in the pathogenesis of visceral fat syndrome [1][2][3]. Our previous data [4] and some clinical studies reported an inverse association between ADPN and left ventricular mass (LVM) [1,5].…”

“…Our previous data [4] and some clinical studies reported an inverse association between ADPN and left ventricular mass (LVM) [1,5]. Moreover, increased ADPN expression can attenuate left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) induced by pathological stimuli and it is able to protect the ischemic heart from injury, through the activation of independent pathways [1,2,4,5].…”

“…Accumulation of intra-abdominal visceral fat stands upstream of various risk factors and dysfunction of adipocyte is considered the cellular basis of metabolic syndrome (MetS) [1][2][3][4]. Adiponectin (ADPN) is an adipocyte-specific protein abundantly present in the plasma.…”

“…However, plasma adiponectin levels are low in subjects with visceral fat accumulation and it seems to play an important role in the pathogenesis of visceral fat syndrome [1][2][3]. Our previous data [4] and some clinical studies reported an inverse association between ADPN and left ventricular mass (LVM) [1,5]. Moreover, increased ADPN expression can attenuate left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) induced by pathological stimuli and it is able to protect the ischemic heart from injury, through the activation of independent pathways [1,2,4,5].…”