Visfatin: A possible role in cardiovasculo-metabolic disorders

Ali Dakroub, Suzanne A. Nasser, Nour Younis, Humna Bhagani, Yusra Al-Dhaheri, Gianfranco Pintus, Assaad A. Eid, Ahmed F. El-Yazbi, Ali H. Eid

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

79 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Visfatin/NAMPT (nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase) is an adipocytokine with several intriguing properties. It was first identified as pre-B-cell colony-enhancing factor but turned out to possess enzymatic functions in nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide biosynthesis, with ubiquitous expression in skeletal muscles, liver, cardiomyocytes, and brain cells. Visfatin exists in an intracellular (iNAMPT) and extracellular (eNAMPT) form. Intracellularly, visfatin/iNAMPT plays a regulatory role in NAD+ biosynthesis and thereby affects many NAD-dependent proteins such as sirtuins, PARPs, MARTs and CD38/157. Extracellularly, visfatin is associated with many hormone-like signaling pathways and activates some intracellular signaling cascades. Importantly, eNAMPT has been associated with several metabolic disorders including obesity and type 1 and 2 diabetes. In this review, a brief overview about visfatin is presented with special emphasis on its relevance to metabolic diseases. Visfatin/NAMPT appears to be a unique molecule with clinical significance with a prospective promising diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic applications in many cardiovasculo-metabolic disorders.

Original languageEnglish
Article number2444
Pages (from-to)1-19
Number of pages19
JournalCells
Volume9
Issue number11
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Nov 2020

Keywords

  • Metabolic disorders
  • NAD
  • PARPs/MARTs
  • Sirtuins
  • Visfatin/NAMPT

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Biochemistry,Genetics and Molecular Biology

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