Visfatin as a Promising Marker of Metabolic Risk

Beyond energy storage, adipose tissue is an active endocrine organ in which adipocytokines are secreted, which have specific effects on various biological processes such as metabolic homeostasis, immunity, inflammation. However, excess energy accumulated in the body changes the size, distribution and cellular composition of adipose tissue, causing deterioration in its structural and functional functions. 2 In this situation, beneficial adipocytokines are down-regulated, while leptin and other proinflammatory adipokines are highly up-regulated. Visfatin, also known as nicotinamide phosphoribosyl transferase (Nampt), is a proinflammatory cytokine intensely expressed in adipose tissue. Accumulating evidence focuses on the potential role of visfatin in the pathogenesis of metabolic diseases and related complications, suggesting that it may be a promising molecule. However, the contradictory results of the studies show that our understanding of visfatin is still speculative, but its secretion mechanism and physiological role are not fully understood. In this review, the role of this promising molecule in metabolic diseases is explained by presenting comprehensive information about visfatin/Nampt.