Cited by 282Adipokines, Inflammation, and Metabolic DiseasesAdipose Tissue and MetabolismPeroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptors

Fetuin-A Induces Cytokine Expression and Suppresses Adiponectin Production

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Hennige, Anita M., Staiger, Harald, Wicke, Corinna, Machicao, Fausto, Fritsche, Andreas, Häring, Hans-Ulrich, Stefan, Norbert·2008·PLoS ONE

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The secreted liver protein fetuin-A (AHSG) is up-regulated in hepatic steatosis and the metabolic syndrome. These states are strongly associated with low-grade inflammation and hypoadiponectinemia. We, therefore, hypothesized that fetuin-A may play a role in the regulation of cytokine expression, the modulation of adipose tissue expression and plasma concentration of the insulin-sensitizing and atheroprotective adipokine adiponectin. METHODOLOGY AND PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Human monocytic THP1 cells and human in vitro differenttiated adipocytes as well as C57BL/6 mice were treated with fetuin-A. mRNA expression of the genes encoding inflammatory cytokines and the adipokine adiponectin (ADIPOQ) was assessed by real-time RT-PCR. In 122 subjects, plasma levels of fetuin-A, adiponectin and, in a subgroup, the multimeric forms of adiponectin were determined. Fetuin-A treatment induced TNF and IL1B mRNA expression in THP1 cells (p<0.05). Treatment of mice with fetuin-A, analogously, resulted in a marked increase in adipose tissue Tnf mRNA as well as Il6 expression (27- and 174-fold, respectively). These effects were accompanied by a decrease in adipose tissue Adipoq mRNA expression and lower circulating adiponectin levels (p<0.05, both). Furthermore, fetuin-A repressed ADIPOQ mRNA expression of human in vitro differentiated adipocytes (p<0.02) and induced inflammatory cytokine expression. In humans in plasma, fetuin-A correlated positively with high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, a marker of subclinical inflammation (r = 0.26, p = 0.01), and negatively with total- (r = -0.28, p = 0.02) and, particularly, high molecular weight adiponectin (r = -0.36, p = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS AND SIGNIFICANCE: We provide novel evidence that the secreted liver protein fetuin-A induces low-grade inflammation and represses adiponectin production in animals and in humans. These data suggest an important role of fatty liver in the pathophysiology of insulin resistance and atherosclerosis.

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Authors
Hennige, A. M., Staiger, H., Wicke, C., Machicao, F., Fritsche, A., Häring, H.-U., & Stefan, N.
Affiliations
University of Tübingen (DE)
Corresponding author
Stefan, Norbert
Venue
PLoS ONE
Published
2008-03-12
Volume
3
Issue
3
Pages
e1765
ISSN
1932-6203 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2060405968
Cited by
282
References
55
Citations by year
2026: 5 · 2025: 8 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 11 · 2022: 13 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 20 · 2019: 17 · 2018: 9 · 2017: 17 · 2016: 21 · 2015: 31 · 2014: 15 · 2013: 25 · 2012: 28
FWCI
12.21
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • PLoS ONE (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Funders
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (HE 3653/3-1, KFO 114)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Adipokines, Inflammation, and Metabolic Diseases
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Adipose Tissue and Metabolism
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptors
Keywords
fetuin-A, adiponectin, adiponectin multimers, low-grade inflammation, hepatic steatosis, metabolic syndrome, TNF-α, IL-1β, interleukin-6, adipose tissue, insulin resistance, atherosclerosis, C-reactive protein, adipokines, THP-1 macrophages, adipocytes
MeSH terms
alpha-Fetoproteins, Animals, Blood Glucose, Cell Line, Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay, Humans, Male, Mice, Inbred C57BL, RNA, Messenger, Cytokines, Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction, Mice, Adiponectin

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