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Nature Medicine 11, 1096 - 1103 (2005)
Published online: 11 September 2005 | doi:10.1038/nm1295

Adiponectin protects against myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury through AMPK- and COX-2–dependent mechanisms

Rei Shibata1, Kaori Sato1, David R Pimentel2, Yukihiro Takemura1, Shinji Kihara3, Koji Ohashi3, Tohru Funahashi3, Noriyuki Ouchi1 & Kenneth Walsh1


Obesity-related disorders are associated with the development of ischemic heart disease. Adiponectin is a circulating adipose-derived cytokine that is downregulated in obese individuals and after myocardial infarction. Here, we examine the role of adiponectin in myocardial remodeling in response to acute injury. Ischemia-reperfusion in adiponectin-deficient (APN-KO) mice resulted in increased myocardial infarct size, myocardial apoptosis and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha expression compared with wild-type mice. Administration of adiponectin diminished infarct size, apoptosis and TNF-alpha production in both APN-KO and wild-type mice. In cultured cardiac cells, adiponectin inhibited apoptosis and TNF-alpha production. Dominant negative AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) reversed the inhibitory effects of adiponectin on apoptosis but had no effect on the suppressive effect of adiponectin on TNF-alpha production. Adiponectin induced cyclooxygenase (COX)-2–dependent synthesis of prostaglandin E2 in cardiac cells, and COX-2 inhibition reversed the inhibitory effects of adiponectin on TNF-alpha production and infarct size. These data suggest that adiponectin protects the heart from ischemia-reperfusion injury through both AMPK- and COX-2–dependent mechanisms.


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