
Protecting kidney filters
Adiponectin is a type of chemical messenger (‘hormone’) that is produced by fat cells in the body. It plays a protective role in the body: helping the body use sugar more efficiently, reducing inflammation and preventing blood vessel damage. Previous studies have shown that adiponectin levels are lower in people with diabetes and that adiponectin can prevent signs of kidney damage, such as preventing albumin from being lost in the urine in laboratory models of DKD.
Dr Rebecca Foster, Associate Professor of Microvascular Medicine at Bristol Medical School and senior author of the study, explains: “We knew that adiponectin was protective, but we wanted to understand whether it might be acting by supporting the barrier function of the blood vessels to stop them from becoming leaky.”
Using several laboratory-based models of DKD, the team were able to show that adiponectin both reduced glycocalyx damage, and restored its depth, which reduced the leakiness of the vessels. Rebecca added: “We were really excited because it’s the first time that this fat hormone has been shown to play a role in glycocalyx health. It’s a new mechanism of action.”