The Novel Hepatokine Ectodysplasin A Is Increased in Obesity and Reduced after Liraglutide Management

Abstract

Background Ectodysplasin A (EDA), a new hepatokine, has been recently characterized to play a role in liver lipid metabolism and insulin resistance, but its physiological role remains scarcely acquainted in obesity. This study was the first time to determine the level of serum EDA in obesity, and to assess change in the levels of EDA after weight loss in obese mice.Methods We analyzed the serum concentrations of EDA by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in 60 subjects including 30 normal weight and 30 obesity. Male C57BL/6J mice were fed with high-fat diet and injected by liraglutide to reduce weight. AML12 cells were induced by palmitic acid and treated with liraglutide. Quantitative real-time PCR and Western blot analysis were conducted to evaluate the expression of EDA. Results Serum EDA levels were significantly higher in obesity than in normal weight subjects. It was positively correlated with body mass index (BMI). More importantly, the mRNA and protein expression of EDA reduced after liraglutide management in vivo and in vitro.Conclusions The level of EDA increased significantly in obesity and decreased significantly after weight loss. It is suggested that EDA may be a novel hepatokine associated with obesity-related metabolic diseases.