Department of Molecular Genetics, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan.
Circ J. 2009 Dec;73(12):2192-7. doi: 10.1253/circj.cj-09-0710. Epub 2009 Oct 29.
Recent major increases in obesity and related metabolic diseases (known as the metabolic syndrome (MetS)) because of sedentary lifestyles and overnutrition in developed and developing countries, are an exploding medical and social problem. These conditions are associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), the leading cause of death. Thus, it is necessary to understand the molecular basis underlying MetS and develop effective preventive and therapeutic approaches against CVD. To date, 7 angiopoietin-like proteins (Angptls) that are structurally similar to angiopoietins have been identified. However, none binds to the angiopoietin receptor, Tie2, or to the closely related Tie1 receptor, suggesting that these ligands function differently from angiopoietins. Some Angptls potently regulate angiogenesis, similar to angiopoietins, whereas others have pleiotropic activity other than angiogenesis and function in lipid and energy metabolism. In this review, we focus on the roles of Angptl2 and Angptl6/angiopoietin-like growth factor (AGF) in the development of MetS and CVD, and discuss the potential for Angptl2 and Angptl6/AGF to function as molecular targets for the prevention and treatment of both conditions.
由于发达国家和发展中国家生活方式久坐不动和营养过剩，肥胖和相关代谢性疾病（称为代谢综合征（MetS））最近大幅增加，这是一个正在迅速扩大的医疗和社会问题。这些疾病与心血管疾病（CVD）风险增加有关，CVD 是主要的死亡原因。因此，有必要了解 MetS 的分子基础，并开发针对 CVD 的有效预防和治疗方法。迄今为止，已鉴定出 7 种结构上与血管生成素相似的血管生成素样蛋白（Angptls）。然而，没有一种 Angptl 与血管生成素受体 Tie2 或密切相关的 Tie1 受体结合，这表明这些配体的功能与血管生成素不同。一些 Angptls 强烈调节血管生成，与血管生成素相似，而其他 Angptls 除了血管生成外还有多种活性，并在脂质和能量代谢中发挥作用。在这篇综述中，我们重点介绍了 Angptl2 和 Angptl6/血管生成素样生长因子（AGF）在 MetS 和 CVD 发展中的作用，并讨论了 Angptl2 和 Angptl6/AGF 作为预防和治疗这两种疾病的分子靶点的潜力。
