Adiponectin is an important adipocyte-derived hormone that regulates metabolism of lipids and glucose, and its receptors (AdipoR1, AdipoR2, T-cadherin) appear to exert actions in peripheral tissues by activating the AMP-activated protein kinase, p38-MAPK, PPARα and NF-kappa B. Adiponectin has been shown to exert a wide range of biological functions that could elicit different effects, depending on the target organ and the biological milieu. The widespread physiological actions of adiponectin have now been well characterized as clinical studies and works in animal models have established strong correlations between circulating adiponectin level and various disease-related outcomes. Thus, conventional thinking attributes many of adiponectin’s beneficial effects to various tissue. However, it is now clear that several tissues can themselves produce adiponectin and there is growing evidence that locally produced adiponectin can mediate functionally important autocrine or paracrine effects. In this review article we discuss structure, its mechanism of action via receptor isoforms and signalling pathways, and its principal physiological effects.
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