Obesity is a major health problem strongly increasing the risk for various severe related complications such as
metabolic syndrome,
cardiovascular diseases, respiratory disorders,
diabetic retinopathy, and
cancer. Adipose tissue is an endocrine organ that produces biologically active molecules defined "
adipocytokines,"
protein hormones with pleiotropic functions involved in the regulation of energy metabolism as well as in appetite,
insulin sensitivity,
inflammation,
atherosclerosis, cell proliferation, and so forth. In
obesity, fat accumulation causes dysregulation of
adipokine production that strongly contributes to the onset of
obesity-related diseases. Several advances have been made in the treatment and prevention of
obesity but current medical
therapies are often unsuccessful even in compliant patients. Among the
adipokines,
adiponectin shows protective activity in various processes such as energy metabolism,
inflammation, and cell proliferation. In this review, we will focus on the current knowledge regarding the protective properties of
adiponectin and its receptors, AdipoRs ("
adiponectin system"), on metabolic complications in
obesity and
obesity-related diseases.
Adiponectin, exhibiting
antihyperglycemic, antiatherogenic, and anti-inflammatory properties, could have important clinical benefits in terms of development of
therapies for the prevention and/or for the treatment of
obesity and
obesity-related diseases.