Serum Adropin: Pathogenesis and Clinical Research in Cardiovascular Disease

Adropin is a peptide hormone that acts as a stabilizing factor in body energy metabolism and may be a marker for cardiovascular disease (CVD). The serum adropin level has been shown to be positively correlated with the nitrite/nitrate level and adropin appears to provide a protective endothelial function. Adropin has been reported to play a protective role in heart failure and hypertension. The underlying mechanism may help to reduce obesity and insulin resistance, improve endothelial dysfunction, and modulate the activity of the nervous system. Adropin regulates the cardiac energy cycle through a series of reactions, such as insulin signaling, glucose, and fat oxidation. This regulation of the energy circuit may represent a source of an alternative therapy for obese diabetes. The objective of this review was to contribute to the literature by examining research of the expression, processing, biological function, and role of adropin in the prevention of CVD.