Role of the Unique Secreted Peptide Adropin in Various Physiological and Disease States.

Adropin, a secreted peptide hormone identified in 2008, plays a significant role in regulating energy homeostasis, glucose metabolism, and lipid metabolism. Its expression is linked to dietary macronutrient intake and is influenced by metabolic syndrome, obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. Emerging evidence suggests that adropin might be a biomarker for various conditions, including metabolic syndrome, coronary artery disease, and hypertensive disorders complicating pregnancy. In cerebrovascular diseases, adropin demonstrates protective effects by reducing blood-brain barrier permeability, brain edema, and infarct size while improving cognitive and sensorimotor functions in ischemic stroke models. The protective effects of adropin extend to preventing endothelial damage, promoting angiogenesis, and mitigating inflammation, making it a promising therapeutic target for cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases. This review provides a comprehensive overview of adropin's multifaceted roles in physiological and pathological conditions, as well as our recent work demonstrating adropin's role in subarachnoid hemorrhage-mediated neural injury and delayed cerebral infarction.