Cloning of New Adipocytokine and elucidation of its pathophysiological role

• Project/Area Number: 15390288
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Metabolomics
• Research Institution: Osaka University
• Principal Investigator: SHIMOMURA Iichiro Osaka University, Graduate School of Frontier Bioscience, Professor, 生命機能研究科, 教授 (60346145)
• Project Period (FY): 2003 – 2004
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2004)
• Budget Amount: ¥13,900,000 (Direct Cost: ¥13,900,000); Fiscal Year 2004: ¥6,700,000 (Direct Cost: ¥6,700,000); Fiscal Year 2003: ¥7,200,000 (Direct Cost: ¥7,200,000)
• Keywords: Visfatin / adipocytokine / insulin receptor / 脂肪細胞 / 内臓脂肪型肥満

Research Abstract

Fat tissue produces a variety of secreted proteins (adipocytokines) with important roles in metabolism. We isolated a newly identified adipocytokine, visfatin, that is highly enriched in the visceral fat of both humans and mice and whose expression level in plasma increases during the development of obesity. Visfatin corresponds to a protein identified previously as pre-B cell colony-enhancing factor(PBEF), a 52-kilodalton cytokine expressed in lymphocytes. Visfatin exerted insulin-mimetic effects in cultured cells and lowered plasma glucose levels in mice. Mice heterozygous for a targeted mutation in the visfatin gene had modestly higher levels of plasma glucose relative to wild-type littermates. Visfatin binds to and activates the insulin receptor. We isolated a new adipocytokine ; Visfatin, and visfatin is a new therapeutic target of metabolic disorders such as diabetes.

Research Products

• [Journal Article] Visfatin : a protein secreted by visceral fat that mimics the effects of insulin. (2005)
  • Author(s): 福原淳範
  • Journal Title: Science 307(5708) Pages: 426-430
  • Description: 「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
• [Journal Article] Visfatin : a protein secreted by visceral fat that mimics the effects of insulin. (2005)
  • Author(s): Fukuhara A, Matsuda M, Nishizawa M, Segawa K, Tanaka M, Kishimoto K, Matsuki Y, Murakami M, Ichisaka T, Murakami H, Watanabe E, Takagi T, Akiyoshi M, Ohtsubo T, Kihara S, Yamashita S, Makishima M, Funahashi T, Yamanaka S, Hiramatsu R, Matsuzawa Y, Shimomura I.
  • Journal Title: Science.2005 307(5708) Pages: 426-430
  • Description: 「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
• [Journal Article] Visfatin : a protein secreted by visceral fat that mimics the effects of insulin. (2005)
  • Author(s): 福原 淳範
  • Journal Title: Science 307(5708) Pages: 426-430