The metabolism of isoforms of human adiponectin: studies in human subjects and in experimental animals

Abstract

Human adiponectin is present as trimers, hexamers and HMW forms. Females had a higher proportion and absolute amount of HMW species compared with males, and female, but not male, subjects showed a strong negative relationship between measures of body fat, and the proportion of HMW species. These isoforms did not respond to challenge in man with a fatty meal or oral glucose, and in the rabbit, to injected insulin. HMW adiponectin was more rapidly metabolised than the trimeric form, but both were stable in vivo, and did not interconvert. We conclude that human adiponectin is much longer-lived than is the case with other hormones, a finding with positive implications for the potential to supplement levels of adiponectin in man.