Adiponectin and leptin are two adipokines secreted by white adipose tissue that regulate insulin sensitivity. Previously we reported that adiponectin but not leptin release depends on GGA-coated vesicle formation, suggesting that leptin and adiponectin may follow different secretory routes. Here we have examined the intracellular trafficking pathways that lead to ...

Leptin regulates energy balance and glucose homeostasis, at least in part, via activation of receptors in the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus located in proopiomelanocortin (POMC) neurons. Females have greater sensitivity to central leptin than males, suggested by a greater anorectic effect of central leptin administration in females. We hypothesized ...

Dysfunction of specific hypothalamic neurons is regarded as an important mechanism predisposing to the development of obesity. Recent studies have revealed that the consumption of fat-rich foods can activate an inflammatory response in the hypothalamus, which disturbs the anorexigenic and thermogenic signals generated by the hormones leptin and insulin, leading ...

BACKGROUND: Accumulating epidemiological studies have shown that healthy offspring of hypertensive patients exhibit some metabolic disturbances such as hyperinsulinemia, insulin resistance, lipid disorders, elevated plasma leptin levels and reduced insulin receptor number, features that may be predictors of future cardiovascular events. The aim of this study was to determine insulin, ...

BACKGROUND: In addition to lipid lowering, further pleotropic effects of statins have been postulated. We aimed to study if the various pleotropic effects are due indirectly to the modulation of adipocytokines. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We studied the effect of atorvastatin on insulin sensitivity and the plasma adiponectin and leptin concentrations. ...

BACKGROUND: It has been reported previously that the measurement of plasma total adiponectin level is clinically useful to estimate the risk of coronary artery disease (CAD). Here, the relevance of high molecular weight (HMW) adiponectin with risk factors for atherosclerosis is investigated METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 186 consecutive ...

OBJECTIVE: The serum concentration of procollagen type I carboxyterminal propeptide (PICP) is a good marker for collagen deposition in hypertension. Increased collagen deposition was associated with myocardial fibrosis and increased arterial stiffness. A decreased adiponectin level is associated with increased atherosclerosis. The role of adiponectin and its relation to PICP ...

Type 2 diabetes affects 100 million people throughout the world. Among the various factors implicated in the causation of this disease, the role of leptin, an obesity gene product, is increasingly being investigated. This especially assumes importance in the light of knowledge that obesity confers a minimum of 3-10 fold ...

We investigated the role of leptin and asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) in uncomplicated hypertension. We also investigated their relationship with insulin resistance and serum levels of several metabolic parameters, including homocysteine, lipoprotein(a) and malondialdehyde (MDA). A total of 34 untreated newly-diagnosed hypertensive patients (seven men and 27 women; mean age, 57.4 ...

BACKGROUND: High leptin and low ghrelin are associated with the metabolic syndrome (MS). AIMS AND METHODS: Ghrelin, leptin (RIA kits), and insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) (ELISA kit) concentrations of the population-based cohort of 1045 subjects and their interactions with metabolic parameters were analysed. Intima-media thickness (IMT) was measured with ...

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of pioglitazone on nitric oxide in patients with type 2 diabetes and coronary artery disease. Twenty-seven patients with coronary artery disease and diabetes mellitus who had received coronary stenting were eligible for the study. They were assigned to the no ...

BACKGROUND: This study aims to identify which among the metabolic syndrome (MS) definitions are closely associated with pathological levels of leptin, adiponectin, resistin, tumour necrosis alpha (TNF-alpha) and C-reactive protein (CRP) among type 2 diabetics. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Three hundred and five (160 males; 145 females) adult type 2 diabetic ...

Secreted from adipose tissue at levels proportional to fat stores, the hormone leptin is a critical regulator of the hypothalamic machinery that controls feeding and energy metabolism. Despite the critical role of leptin in the maintenance of energy homeostasis, no leptin-based therapeutic approaches have emerged to combat metabolic disorders such ...

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the relationships between leptin, soluble leptin receptor, lipid profiles, and LEPR gene polymorphisms in child and adolescent Thai subjects. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study of Thai children and adolescents. SUBJECTS: 116 male and 65 female at risk for overweight/overweight child and adolescent Thai subjects, and 33 male and 62 ...

BACKGROUND: Despite the well-known inverse association between smoking and body weight, there have been conflicting reports on the association between smoking and adipokines such as leptin and adiponectin. AIM: To determine and compare whether tobacco smoking (cigarettes or sheesha) affects circulating levels of adiponectin and/or influences leptin and leptin receptor ...

It is unclear whether serum adiponectin concentrations diminish linearly with increasing adiposity and, if not, which factors codetermine this association. These issues were investigated cross-sectionally in 1188 men and women, representative of middle-aged and elderly Turkish adults. Serum total adiponectin was assayed by ELISA. Serum adiponectin values in men, though ...

BACKGROUND: A substantial body of evidence indicates that reduced plasma adiponectin levels may be key in the development of insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes and the metabolic syndrome. Glucocorticoids decrease the levels of adiponectin in animals and humans. Cortisone is transformed to its active form cortisol, via 11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (HSD) ...

To study the adiponectin levels during puberty in girls with type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM1) and their relationship to body mass index (BMI), Tanner stage, ovarian volume (OV), and androgen levels. We studied adiponectin and testosterone levels and OV in 56 pubertal girls with DM1 and in 59 healthy girls ...

Adiponectin, a hormone produced and secreted by adipocytes, is present in circulation in high circulating concentrations, suggesting an important physiological role. An indirect regulator of glucose metabolism, adiponectin increases insulin sensitivity, improves glucose tolerance and inhibits inflammation. Plasma adiponectin relates inversely to adiposity and, importantly, reflects the sequelae of accumulation ...

Cyclo(His-Pro) is an endogenous cyclic dipeptide structurally related to tyreotropin-releasing hormone that was originally discovered in brain. In the central nervous system it has been described to exert multiple biological activities, which seem to be related to a presynaptic dopaminergic mechanism and include among the others a leptin-like function. It ...

Even though adiponectin is associated with many traditional cardiovascular risk factors, studies assessing the association between adiponectin and cerebrovascular disease (CVD) are scarce. We assessed the odds of CVD at different plasma levels of adiponectin. A nested case-control study was conducted involving 5243 subjects, drawn from 12 490 subjects of ...

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: Partial lipodystrophy (PL) is most commonly characterized by loss of subcutaneous fat in the extremities with preservation of truncal fat and is associated with insulin resistance, diabetes and hyperlipidaemia. Recombinant human leptin (r-metHuLeptin) therapy has been shown to be effective in treating metabolic abnormalities associated with congenital or acquired ...

Chronic antiepileptic therapy with valproic acid (VPA) is associated with increased body weight and insulin resistance in adults and children. Attempts to determine the underlying pathophysiologic mechanisms have failed. Adipocytokines have recently been defined as a link between glucose and fat metabolism. We herein demonstrate that VPA-associated overweight is accompanied ...

Ligation of the uterine arteries (LIG) in rats serves as a model of intrauterine growth restriction and subsequent developmental programming of impaired glucose tolerance, hyperinsulinemia, and adiposity in the offspring. Its impact on lipid metabolism has been less well investigated. We compared parameters of glucose and lipid metabolism and glucocorticoid ...

The objective was to evaluate the insulin-leptin interactions in grazing mares and their impact on aspects of reproductive function using a series of four studies. Fourteen mares were first examined, 10 grazing and 4 confined to stalls in four 22-h studies in April, August, October (2005) and January (2006). There ...

Adiponectin is an abundantly expressed adipokine in adipose tissue and has direct insulin sensitizing activity. A decrease in the circulating levels of adiponectin by interactions between genetic factors and environmental factors causing obesity has been shown to contribute to the development of insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome and ...

OBJECTIVES: Adiponectin is a novel plasma protein produced exclusively in adipocytes. Despite early data, its relationship with obesity and diabetes has been recently questioned. Since plasma lipids influence diabetes and obesity, of concern is whether any associations between plasma lipids and adiponectin exist. DESIGN AND METHODS: The aim of this ...

We investigated ghrelin, leptin, glucose, and insulin response to an oral glucose tolerance test among children receiving antipsychotics. Hormone concentrations were assayed at fasting, 30, 60, and 120 minutes. The sample was composed of 9 obese (defined as at or above the 95th percentile for age) and 10 overweight/normal children ...

Background: The objective of this study was to investigate if eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5n-3, EPA) or docosahexaenoic acid (22:6n-3, DHA) or both would prevent conjugated linoleic acid (CLA)-induced insulin resistance and fatty liver. Methods: Eight-week-old, pathogen-free C57BL/6N female mice (10 per group) were fed either a control diet or diets containing ...

Available evidences suggest that leptin has inhibitory role on insulin secretion. The aim of the work was to examine the association between plasma leptin concentrations and insulin resistance in patients with gestational diabetes mellitus. As a cross-sectional study we recruited 741 pregnant women. The universal screening was performed with an ...

BACKGROUND: Abnormalities in glucose homeostasis (AGH) frequently occur in kidney transplantation and favor vascular lesions. The purpose of this study was to analyze whether C-reactive protein (CRP), adiponectin, and ghrelin are markers of AGH and indicators of carotid atherosclerosis in kidney transplant patients with fasting plasma glucose below 126 mg/dL. ...

Obesity is a major public health problem and is often associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, and metabolic syndrome. Leptin is the crucial adipostatic hormone that controls food intake and body weight through the activation of specific leptin receptors (OB-R) in the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus (ARC). However, in ...

Hypothalamic malonyl-CoA has been shown to function in global energy homeostasis by modulating food intake and energy expenditure. Little is known, however, about the regulation of malonyl-CoA concentration in the central nervous system. To address this issue we investigated the response of putative intermediates in the malonyl-CoA pathway to metabolic ...

To determine the long-term effect of central leptin and resistin on energy homeostasis, peripheral insulin resistance, and beta-cell function and mass, intracerebroventricular (ICV) infusion of leptin (3 ng/h), resistin (80 ng/h), leptin plus resistin, and cerebrospinal fluid (control) was conducted by means of an osmotic pump for 4 wk on ...

Recently we have demonstrated that treatment with niacin raises adiponectin between 52% and 95% in patients with the metabolic syndrome. In this study we investigated whether all three adiponectin fractions are increased equally, and, secondly, whether the increase in the biologically most active high-molecular weight (HMW) fraction can prevent the ...

CONTEXT: Serum retinol-binding protein 4 (RBP-4), leptin, and adiponectin concentrations identify insulin resistance in varied conditions, but their relationships with insulin sensitivity and ectopic fat accumulation are unclear. OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to establish how these adipokines are related with intramyocellular lipid (IMCL) and intrahepatic lipid (IHL) content. DESIGN AND ...

BACKGROUND: Endothelial dysfunction (ED) is common in patients with moderate to advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD). Recently, visfatin, a protein with insulin-mimetic properties, was shown to be associated with sVCAM-1. Thus, we hypothesised that visfatin may be a marker of ED in CKD. METHODS: We studied 406 patients with different ...

Adiponectin is an adipocytokine that is involved in insulin sensitivity. The adiponectin gene contains a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) at position 276 (G/T). The GG genotype of SNP276 (G/T) is associated with lower plasma adiponectin levels and a higher insulin resistance index. Therefore, we examined the influence of SNP276 (G/T) ...

Postprandial hyperglycemia is associated with increased cardiovascular mortality; therefore, lowering postprandial hyperglycemia seems crucial in type 2 diabetes mellitus. We assessed the effect of 2 different postprandial glucose-lowering agents, the alpha-glucosidase inhibitor miglitol and the meglitinide analogue mitiglinide, on metabolic profile and atherosclerosis-related markers. Glucose levels, insulin levels, lipid profile, ...

Adiponectin is an adipocyte-derived hormone that can improve insulin sensitivity. Its functions in regulating glucose utilization and fatty acid metabolism in mammals are mediated by two subtypes of adiponectin receptors (AdipoR1 and AdipoR2). This study was conducted to determine the effect of insulin on the expression of adiponectin and its ...

Adiponectin may play an important role in the regulation of body weight, insulin resistance, and cardiovascular disease. The aim of this study was to evaluate the distribution of adiponectin in a Mediterranean adult population and its relationship with cardiovascular risk factors and metabolic syndrome. A cross-sectional study was performed in ...

Sixteen postmenarcheal Type 1 diabetic adolescent girls were randomized into training (involving aerobic and strength exercises) and nontraining groups. Body composition (skinfold thickness), aerobic fitness (PWC170), plasma lipids, serum apolipoproteins, lipoprotein(a), leptin, and adiponectin were assessed before and after the 6-month period. After the 6-month period, fat mass and leptin ...

BACKGROUND/AIM: Both steatosis and insulin resistance have been linked to accelerated fibrosis in chronic hepatitis C. Connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) plays a major role in extracellular matrix production in fibrotic disorders including cirrhosis, and its expression is stimulated in vitro by insulin and glucose. We hypothesized that CTGF may ...

Excess visceral fat can regulate insulin sensitivity and energy metabolism by releasing adipokines into the circulation which then bind with their cognate receptors in various tissues and alter glucose and lipid metabolism. Circulating levels of adiponectin, which promotes glucose uptake into skeletal muscle and increases fat oxidation rates, are decreased ...

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the involvement of hypoadiponectinemia and inflammation in coupling obesity to insulin resistance in melanocortin-3 receptor and melanocortin-4 receptor knockout (KO) mice (Mc3/4rKO). RESEARCH METHODS AND PROCEDURES: Sera and tissue were collected from 6-month-old Mc3rKO, Mc4rKO, and wild-type C57BL6J litter mates maintained on low-fat diet or exposed to ...

Adiponectin is an adipocyte-specific secretory protein that possesses antidiabetic and antiatherosclerotic properties. Recent studies have demonstrated that the high molecular weight (HMW) multimer form is the active form of this protein. In patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, HMW-total adiponectin ratio was reported to be a more useful marker than ...

Altered activities of high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-associated antioxidant enzyme paraoxonase 1 (PON1) and lipid transfer proteins, for example, cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) and lecithin cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT), participating in lipoprotein remodeling seem to play important roles in obesity-related accelerated atherosclerosis. Inverse associations of PON1 with obesity and serum leptin levels ...

Thyroid hormones act on several aspects of metabolic and energy homeostasis influencing body weight, thermogenesis, and lipolysis in adipose tissue. Adipocytokines are biologically active substances produced by adipocyte with different physiological functions. These substances have multiple effects on several tissues acting on the intermediate and energy metabolism. For these reasons, ...

Ghrelin, leptin, and adiponectin play an important role in the regulation of energetic homeostasis, but physiological relationships between these hormones have not been elucidated. This study was therefore designed to characterize the association between serum acylated ghrelin, leptin, and adiponectin levels, as well as insulin resistance evaluated by homeostasis model ...

Reproduction is a physiologically costly process that consumes significant amounts of energy. The physiological mechanisms controlling energy balance are closely linked to fertility. This close relationship ensures that pregnancy and lactation occur only in favourable conditions with respect to energy. The primary metabolic cue that modulates reproduction is the availability ...