Irizin: a new myokine and its effect on metabolism

Abstract

Muscles release hormones (myokines) into the bloodstream, which affect the production of cytokines and their metabolism in various organs and tissues. One of them is irisin, a new adipokine with important autocrine and endocrine functions. It is produced not only by muscle tissue, but also by lymphoid organs, adipose and nervous tissue. It has been proven that this myokine can play a role in the pathogenesis of metabolic and oncological diseases, inflammation, aging and neurogenesis. The content of irisin in the blood is regulated not only by physical activity, but also by diet, changes in body weight, and drugs. The increased interest in studying the relationship of irisin with metabolic diseases is due to the search for a potentially new point of application for overcoming type 2 diabetes mellitus and insulin resistance. Irisin plays a major role in the interaction of the muscle­adiposetissue­bone­brain axis. It has been found that exercise has a positive effect on the functioning of the nervous system. Irisin has an anabolic effect on the skeleton and plays a significant role in bone metabolism. It has been established that exercise is a protective factor in people with cancer, reduces the toxicity of chemotherapy and improves the quality of life of patients, although the mechanisms of this phenomenon require further study. The relationship between circulating irisin levels and impaired glucose metabolism in children is discussed. It is proposed to use irisin as one of the predictors of childhood obesity. Its protective role in pregnancy and in newborns is being studied. A decrease in serum irisin levels is considered a marker of gestational diabetes. It has been suggested that cord blood irisin levels may be a reliable predictor of obesity in the future. Further research is needed to better understand the mechanism of action of this myokine in various diseases in children and to identify the relationship between circulating irisin levels and the amount of brownadipose tissue in newborns of different gestational age and with different birth weights.