Adipocytokines and Metabolic Health

Adipose tissue is now recognised as a dynamic endocrine organ that secretes a broad spectrum of bioactive molecules collectively termed adipocytokines. These factors—including leptin, adiponectin, resistin, tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6)—mediate cross-talk between adipose depots and key metabolic organs such as liver, muscle and pancreas. In healthy individuals, adipocytokines contribute to energy homeostasis by regulating appetite, insulin sensitivity, lipid metabolism and inflammatory tone. In the setting of obesity, however, excessive lipid accumulation and adipocyte hypertrophy trigger a shift towards a pro-inflammatory adipocytokine profile. This dysregulated secretome promotes systemic insulin resistance, impairs pancreatic β-cell function and accelerates the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and cardiovascular complications. Recent advances have uncovered specialised secretory factors from brown adipose tissue—so-called batokines—and exosomal microRNAs as novel adipocytokines with the capacity to fine-tune thermogenesis and inter-organ signalling. A refined understanding of the molecular pathways by which individual adipocytokines exert their actions is paving the way for targeted therapeutic interventions aimed at restoring metabolic equilibrium and mitigating chronic inflammation.

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Adipocytokines and Metabolic Health publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in adipocytokines and metabolic health across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Adipocytokine: Collective term for signalling proteins and peptides secreted by adipose tissue that regulate metabolism and inflammation.

Adipokine: Subset of adipocytokines primarily derived from white adipose tissue, such as leptin and adiponectin.

Batokine: Bioactive factor secreted by brown adipose tissue that influences thermogenesis and systemic metabolic regulation.

Exosomal microRNA: Small non-coding RNA molecules packaged into exosomes by adipocytes, capable of modulating gene expression in distant tissues.

HOMA-IR: Homeostatic Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance, a calculated index estimating hepatic insulin sensitivity from fasting glucose and insulin levels.

β-cell function: Capacity of pancreatic islet β-cells to produce and secrete insulin in response to circulating glucose.

References

1. Inflammatory Mediators and Type 2 Diabetes Risk Factors before and in Response to Lifestyle Intervention among Latino Adolescents with Obesity. Nutrients (2023).
2. Effect of Manual Lymphatic Drainage on the Concentrations of Selected Adipokines, Cytokines, C-Reactive Protein and Parameters of Carbohydrate and Lipid Metabolism in Patients with Abnormal Body Mass Index: Focus on Markers of Obesity and Insulin Resistance. International Journal of Molecular Sciences (2023).
3. Adipose Tissue-Derived Signatures for Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes: Adipokines, Batokines and MicroRNAs. Journal of Clinical Medicine (2019).