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The adipokines or adipocytokines are a group of cytokines (cell-to-cell signalling proteins) secreted by adipose tissue. Image File history File links Merge-arrow. ... Adipose tissue is one of the main types of connective tissue. ... Cytokines are a category of less-widely-known signalling proteins and glycoproteins that, like hormones and neurotransmitters, are used extensively in cellular communication. ... Drawing of the structure of cork as it appeared under the microscope to Robert Hooke from Micrographia which is the origin of the word cell being used to describe the smallest unit of a living organism Cells in culture, stained for keratin (red) and DNA (green) The cell is the... A representation of the 3D structure of myoglobin showing coloured alpha helices. ... Adipose tissue is one of the main types of connective tissue. ...

Members include:

• chemerin^[1]
• interleukin-6 (IL-6)^[2]
• plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1)
• retinol binding protein 4 (RBP4)
• tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFα)
• visfatin

adiponectin, leptin (Ob ligand), and resistin are not adipokines (cytokines) as they do not act on the immune system. These substances produced by adipocytes are hormones. (Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine). The definition of an adipokine is a cytokine produced by an adipocyte. A cytokine is a immunomodulating agent. Often in literature, proteins such as adiponectin, leptin, resistin are referred to as adipokines, however they can be more accurately put into the larger, growing list of adipose derived hormones. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a pro-inflammatory cytokine secreted by T cells and macrophages to stimulate immune response to trauma, especially burns or other tissue damage leading to inflammation. ... Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 is the principal inhibitor of tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) and urokinase (uPA), the activators of plasminogen and hence fibrinolysis (the physiological breakdown of blood clots). ... Retinol, the dietary form of vitamin A, is a fat-soluble, antioxidant vitamin important in vision and bone growth. ... In medicine, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα, cachexin or cachectin) is an important cytokine involved in systemic inflammation and the acute phase response. ... Nampt, PBEF, and visfatin refer to an identical protein, as judged by its amino acid sequence, with multiple biological functions. ... Adiponectin (also referred to as Acrp30, apM1) is a protein hormone that modulates a number of metabolic processes, including glucose regulation and fatty acid catabolism. ... RNA expression pattern Orthologs Human Mouse Entrez Ensembl Uniprot Refseq Location Pubmed search Leptin (from the Greek word leptos, meaning thin) is a 16 kDa protein hormone that plays a key role in regulating energy intake and energy expenditure, including the regulation (decrease) of appetite and (increase) of metabolism. ... Resistin is a hormone secreted by adipose tissue. ... Cytokines are a category of less-widely-known signalling proteins and glycoproteins that, like hormones and neurotransmitters, are used extensively in cellular communication. ... Adiponectin (also referred to as Acrp30, apM1) is a protein hormone that modulates a number of metabolic processes, including glucose regulation and fatty acid catabolism. ... RNA expression pattern Orthologs Human Mouse Entrez Ensembl Uniprot Refseq Location Pubmed search Leptin (from the Greek word leptos, meaning thin) is a 16 kDa protein hormone that plays a key role in regulating energy intake and energy expenditure, including the regulation (decrease) of appetite and (increase) of metabolism. ... Resistin is a hormone secreted by adipose tissue. ...

Their relative roles in modifying appetite, insulin resistance and atherosclerosis are the subjects of intense research, as they may be modifiable causes of morbidity in people with obesity.^[3][4] The appetite is the desire to eat food, felt as hunger. ... Insulin resistance is the condition in which normal amounts of insulin are inadequate to produce a normal insulin response from fat, muscle and liver cells. ...

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