Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2016 Dec 21;70(0):1267-1275.

Retinol-binding protein 4 (RBP4) as the causative factor and marker of vascular injury related to insulin resistance

Marcin Majerczyk  1 , Magdalena Olszanecka-Glinianowicz  2 , Monika Puzianowska-Kuźnicka  3 , Jerzy Chudek  1
Affiliations
  • PMID: 28026829
Free article
Review

Retinol-binding protein 4 (RBP4) as the causative factor and marker of vascular injury related to insulin resistance

Marcin Majerczyk et al. Postepy Hig Med Dosw (Online). .
Free article

Abstract

One of adipokines involved in the development of insulin resistance is retinol-binding protein 4(RBP4). The physiological role of RBP4 is transport of retinol from the liver to peripheral tissues. One of the first events related to the excessive visceral fat accumulation is the development of inflammation followed by hormonal adipose tissue dysfunction, including excessive RBP4 production. Reduced density of the membrane-type glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) is considered as a direct cause for the stimulation of RBP4 release to the circulation by adipocytes. Circulating RBP4 inhibits the signal pathways stimulated by insulin in skeletal muscle cells, resulting in the development of insulin resistance. Drugs stimulating receptor peroxisome proliferator-activated gamma (PPARγ) - thiazolidinediones - inhibit the production of RBP4 by adipose tissue and increase the insulin sensitivity of the tissues. Increased secretion of RBP4 stimulates the expression of adhesion molecules in the endothelial cells, promoting development of atherosclerosis and arterial hypertension. Population studies demonstrated an association between serum RBP4 in the circulation, and the severity of atherosclerosis and risk of the cardiovascular events and type 2 diabetes. It also appears that the rbp4 gene functional polymorphisms may influence the risk of metabolic complications of obesity, including vascular injury. Therefore, the concentration of RBP4 in the circulation may be considered both as the causative factor and marker of chronic vascular injury. This article summarizes the current state of knowledge on the potential role of RBP4 in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases, particularly related to insulin resistance.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

MeSH terms

LinkOut - more resources

  NODES
Association 3
twitter 2