The hormone resistin links obesity to diabetes

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease that leads to complications includin g heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, blindness and nerve damage. Type 2 diabetes, characterized by target-tissue resistance to insulin, is epidemi c in industrialized societies and is strongly associated with obesity; howe ver, the mechanism by which increased adiposity causes insulin resistance i s unclear. Here we show that adipocytes secrete a unique signalling molecul e, which we have named resistin (for resistance to insulin). Circulating re sistin levels are decreased by the anti-diabetic drug rosiglitazone, and in creased in diet-induced and genetic forms of obesity. Administration of ant i-resistin antibody improves blood sugar and insulin action in mice with di et-induced obesity. Moreover, treatment of normal mice with recombinant res istin impairs glucose tolerance and insulin action. Insulin-stimulated gluc ose uptake by adipocytes is enhanced by neutralization of resistin and is r educed by resistin treatment. Resistin is thus a hormone that potentially l inks obesity to diabetes.