Adropin’s Role in Energy Homeostasis and Metabolic Disorders

Abstract

Adropin is a novel 76-amino acid-peptide that is expressed in different tissues and cells including the liver, pancreas, heart and vascular tissues, kidney, milk, serum, plasma and many parts of the brain. Adropin, encoded by the Enho gene, plays a crucial role in energy homeostasis. The literature review indicates that adropin alleviates the degree of insulin resistance by reducing endogenous hepatic glucose production. Adropin improves glucose metabolism by enhancing glucose utilization in mice, including the sensitization of insulin signaling pathways such as Akt phosphorylation and the activation of the glucose transporter 4 receptor. Several studies have also demonstrated that adropin improves cardiac function, cardiac efficiency and coronary blood flow in mice. Adropin can also reduce the levels of serum triglycerides, total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. In contrast, it increases the level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, often referred to as the beneficial cholesterol. Adropin inhibits inflammation by reducing the tissue level of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor alpha and interleukin-6. The protective effect of adropin on the vascular endothelium is through an increase in the expression of endothelial nitric oxide synthase. This article provides an overview of the existing literature about the role of adropin in different pathological conditions.

Insulin resistance and cardiovascular disease

“…TNF-α and IL-6 are reduced and the endothelium is protected via effects exerted on eNOS. 106 With regard to liver glucose synthesis, researchers demonstrated that adropin sensitizes the AMPK pathway by acting on protein phosphatase 2 (PP2A). 107 A few studies also demonstrated the association between elevated plasma adropin levels and glucose and lipid homeostasis and insulin sensitivity, whereas its absence predisposes to obesity and IR.…”

Serum Adropin Level in the Early Period of ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction and Its Relationship With Cobalamin and Folic Acid

“…The immunoreactivity of adropin has been detected in many tissues, including the heart [8]. It is suggested that it is an important endocrine factor that affects metabolic regulation, insulin sensitivity, and endothelial functions [4,9]. It plays a role in the maintenance of endothelial vascular homeostasis by increasing nitric oxide synthesis through the endothelial nitric oxide synthase enzyme that it upregulates.…”

“…One of the biomarkers studied for this purpose is adropin [3]. Adropin is a 4.9 kDa peptide encoded by the Energy Homeostasis-Related Gene ( Enho) located on chromosome 9 in humans [4]. Although it is found in various organs in the central nervous system, it is expressed in the heart, kidney, liver, pancreas, and human umbilical cord [5].…”

“…It has been observed that adropin has a protective role in the regulation of atherogenesis and cardiovascular diseases, and serum adropin levels are low in patients with stable coronary artery disease [3,6]. Studies have also shown that adropin has regulatory effects on glucose and lipid homeostasis, insulin resistance, impaired glucose tolerance, diabetes, obesity, and hyperhomocysteinemia [4,6]. Adropin levels have been found to vary in cardiovascular studies.…”

Adropin Predicts Chronic Kidney Disease in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients with Chronic Heart Failure

“…Yet, adropin may activate the glucose transporter 4 receptor through its Akt phosphorylation and improve glucose metabolism [ 16 ]. There is strong evidence regarding the fact that adropin is able to inhibit inflammation by suppressing the production of several pro-inflammatory cytokines (tumour necrosis factor alpha, C-reactive protein, and interleukin-6), improve cardiac function and coronary blood flow, reduce the levels of serum triglycerides, total cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and increase the level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol [ 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 ].…”