Visfatin: a protein secreted by visceral fat that mimics the effects of insulin.
Science
; 307(5708): 426-30, 2005 Jan 21.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-15604363
ABSTRACT
Fat tissue produces a variety of secreted proteins (adipocytokines) with important roles in metabolism. We isolated a newly identified adipocytokine, visfatin, that is highly enriched in the visceral fat of both humans and mice and whose expression level in plasma increases during the development of obesity. Visfatin corresponds to a protein identified previously as pre-B cell colony-enhancing factor (PBEF), a 52-kilodalton cytokine expressed in lymphocytes. Visfatin exerted insulin-mimetic effects in cultured cells and lowered plasma glucose levels in mice. Mice heterozygous for a targeted mutation in the visfatin gene had modestly higher levels of plasma glucose relative to wild-type littermates. Surprisingly, visfatin binds to and activates the insulin receptor. Further study of visfatin's physiological role may lead to new insights into glucose homeostasis and/or new therapies for metabolic disorders such as diabetes.
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Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Tecido Adiposo
/
Citocinas
/
Insulina
Tipo de estudo:
Prognostic_studies
Idioma:
En
Ano de publicação:
2005
Tipo de documento:
Article