Elevated asprosin in postmenopause is associated with vasculometabolic complications

Area of Science:

• Endocrinology
• Cardiovascular Biology
• Metabolic Research

Background:

• Postmenopause is linked to increased adiposity, metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk.
• Adipose-derived factors contributing to vascular impairment in postmenopause are not well understood.
• Asprosin, an adipokine elevated in metabolic diseases, has an unknown role in postmenopausal vascular complications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate circulating and adipose tissue asprosin levels in a mouse model of postmenopause.
• To determine the association between asprosin and postmenopausal vascular and metabolic alterations.

Main Methods:

• Ovariectomy (OVX) or sham surgery in female mice, followed for 20 weeks.
• Assessment of bone porosity, cardiometabolic parameters (weight, adiposity, metabolic syndrome markers), and arterial stiffness.
• Measurement of circulating asprosin levels and adipose tissue asprosin expression.
• Ex vivo wire myography to assess asprosin's direct vascular effects.

Main Results:

• OVX mice exhibited postmenopausal bone porosity, weight gain, increased adiposity, metabolic syndrome-like changes, and arterial stiffness.
• Elevated circulating asprosin levels and increased subcutaneous adipose tissue asprosin expression were observed in OVX mice.
• Asprosin directly potentiated vasoconstriction in ex vivo studies, indicating a direct vascular effect.

Conclusions:

• Elevated asprosin is associated with postmenopausal vasculo-metabolic alterations in a mouse model.
• Asprosin may play a direct role in mediating vascular dysfunction postmenopause.
• Asprosin warrants further investigation as a potential biomarker for cardiometabolic and vascular changes in postmenopause.