Metabolic syndrome: prospects for the use of angiopoetin-like proteins type 3 and 4 for the diagnosis of metabolic disorders

Abstract

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a major global public health problem. Abdominal obesity, arterial hypertension, disorders of carbohydrate metabolism and dyslipidemia are widely recognized and the most important components of MetS. The angiopoietin-like system, which includes eight types of angiopoietin-like proteins (ANGPTLs), is recognized as an important regulator of adipose tissue function. Angiopoietin-like proteins types 3 and 4 (ANGPTL3/4) are the most studied in terms of their influence on cardiovascular risks and are of interest in terms of their function in conditions associated with MetS. This review focuses on considering the role of ANGPTL3/4 in the development of each condition from the constellation of abnormalities that characterize MetS. The key role of ANGPTL3/4 as modulators of the interaction between the liver and adipose tissue is demonstrated based on the analysis performed on the current data in the PubMed information. Their involvement in lipid homeostasis, glucose, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and sleep apnea, i.e. in the maximum spectrum of conditions determining MetS, has been considered in detail. It’s been proven that ANGPTL3/4 can act as indepen dent predictors of MetS, demonstrating a potential role as prognostic biomarkers of metabolic disorders. Understanding the peculiarities of ANGPTLs functioning can offer both new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to diseases with MetS. Close targeting of ANGPTL3/4 and the development of innovative therapies involving blockers of their action have the potential to have a significant impact on the effectiveness of treatment of metabolic disorders in humans in future.