Hypoxia-inducible factor 1 is correlated to serum adiponectin levels and measures of obesity and insulin sensitivity in vivo

• Title: Hypoxia-inducible factor 1 is correlated to serum adiponectin levels and measures of obesity and insulin sensitivity in vivo Background: Hypoxia has been shown to decrease adiponectin in vitro. Adiponectin levels are negatively associated to type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Recently, it was shown that Hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1) regulates adiponectin expression in murine cardiomyocytes. The present study was performed to examine the association between HIF-1 expression and serum adiponectin levels, measures of adiposity and insulin resistance in humans. Methods: Abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue biopsies were obtained from 24 subjects diagnosed with and without the metabolic syndrome. HIF-1 gene expression was assessed by individual DNA microarray analyses. Adipose tissue depots were assessed with computerized tomography. Anthropometrics were performed. Circulating levels of insulin, adiponectin, leptin, cholesterol, high-sensitivity C - reactive protein (hs-CRP) and fasting levels of insulin and glucose were measured by standard laboratory procedures. Results: In a univariate analysis, HIF-1 expression levels correlate to BMI (r=0.42, p=0.04), WHR (r=0.55, p=0.0058), total adipose tissue (r=0.46, p=0.022), subcutaneous adipose tissue ( r=0.49, p= 0.016),liver fat (r=0.44, p=0.030), fasting insulin (r=0.46, p=0.023), HOMA-index (r=0.46, p=0.023) and serum adiponectin (r= -0.42, p=0.0418). We observed no statistically significant correlations between HIF-1 gene expression and visceral adipose tissue, systolic blood pressure, serum cholesterol, hs-CRP or serum leptin. HIF-1 gene expression did not differ between the groups. Conclusions: We report that expression of HIF-1 is correlated to serum adiponectin, insulin sensitivity and measures of adiposity. There were no statistical differences in expression of HIF-1 between subjects with or without the metabolic syndrome. In this cross-sectional analysis, no conclusions can be drawn about causality.

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