Adipose tissue secretes proteins referred to as adipokines, many of which promote inflammation and disrupt glucose homeostasis. Here we show that secreted frizzled-related protein 5 (Sfrp5), a protein previously linked to the Wnt signaling pathway, is an anti-inflammatory adipokine whose expression is perturbed in models of obesity and type 2 diabetes. Sfrp5-deficient mice fed a high-calorie diet developed severe glucose intolerance and hepatic steatosis, and their adipose tissue showed an accumulation of activated macrophages that was associated with activation of the c-Jun N-terminal kinase signaling pathway. Adenovirus-mediated delivery of Sfrp5 to mouse models of obesity ameliorated glucose intolerance and hepatic steatosis. Thus, in the setting of obesity, Sfrp5 secretion by adipocytes exerts salutary effects on metabolic dysfunction by controlling inflammatory cells within adipose tissue.

The stimulatory effect of Ad-Fstl1 on ischemic limb reperfusion was abolished in mice lacking eNOS. These data indicate that Fstl1 is a secreted muscle protein or myokine that can function to promote endothelial cell function and stimulates revascularization in response to ischemic insult through its ability to activate AkteNOS signaling.

Background-The Akt protein kinase is an important mediator of cardiac myocyte growth and survival. To identify factors with novel therapeutic applications in cardiac diseases, we focused on the identification of factors secreted from Akt1-activated cells that have cardioprotective effects through autocrine/paracrine mechanisms. Methods and Results-Using an inducible Akt1 transgenic mouse model, we have found that follistatin-like 1 (Fstl1) protein and transcript expression are increased 4.0-and 2.0-fold, respectively, by Akt activation in the heart (PϽ0.05). Fstl1 transcript was also upregulated in response to myocardial stresses including transverse aortic constriction, ischemia/reperfusion injury, and myocardial infarction. Adenovirus-mediated overexpression of Fstl1 protected cultured neonatal rat ventricular myocytes from hypoxia/reoxygenation-induced apoptosis (PϽ0.01), and this protective effect was dependent on the upregulation of both Akt and ERK activities. Conversely, knockdown of Fstl1 in cardiac myocytes decreased basal Akt signaling and increased the frequency of apoptotic death in vitro (PϽ0.01). The intravenous administration of an adenoviral encoding Fstl1 to mice resulted in a 66.0% reduction in myocardial infarct size after ischemia/reperfusion injury that was accompanied by a 70.9% reduction in apoptosis in the heart (PϽ0.01). Conclusions-These

Gold nanowires were synthesized at 150 K by electron beam thinning of a gold thin foil in an UHV electron microscope. The gold nanowires were found to have a helical multishell structure (HMS). One particular nanowire, which was thinner than the 7-1 HMS nanowire, was found to have a tubular structure. The gold single wall nanotube is composed of five atomic rows that coil about the tube axis. The diameter was 0.4 nm and the pitch was 11 nm. The stability of the (5,3) nanotube was discussed in terms of the shear deformation of the triangular network of gold atoms.