Adiponectin is a hormone produced exclusively by adipose tissue in the bloodstream.
It has a particular characteristic: its level in the serum is high in lean subjects and progressively decreases in obese subjects (levels of presence of the hormone are inversely connected with the percentage of fat in the body of adults).
Its action is mediated by AMPK and PPAR-a, which are molecules involved in the use of glucose and fatty acids for energy production.
Reduced levels of adiponectin are associated with type II diabetes, obesity, lipodystrophy, metabolic syndrome, heart attack, atherosclerosis.
Adiponectin is a key hormone in the control of several metabolic processes represented in the diagram:
