Effect of Moderate Alcohol Consumption on Adiponectin, Tumor Necrosis Factor-α, and Insulin Sensitivity
- Aafje Sierksma, MSC12,
- Hamina Patel, MD3,
- Noriyuki Ouchi, MD4,
- Shinji Kihara, MD, PHD4,
- Tohru Funahashi, MD, PHD4,
- Robert J. Heine, MD, PHD5,
- Diederick E. Grobbee, MD, PHD2,
- Cornelis Kluft, PHD6 and
- Henk F.J. Hendriks, PHD1
- 1Department of Nutritional Physiology, Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research Nutrition and Food Research, Zeist, the Netherlands
- 2Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
- 3Clinical Studies Department, Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research BIBRA International, Carshalton, Surrey, U.K.
- 4Department of Internal Medicine and Molecular Science, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
- 5Diabetes Centre, Department of Endocrinology, Vrije Universiteit University Medical Centre, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- 6Gaubius Laboratory, Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research Prevention and Health, Leiden, the Netherlands
- Address correspondence reprint requests to Dr. Henk F.J. Hendriks, Department of Nutritional Physiology, TNO NutritionFood Research, P.O. Box 360, 3700 AJ Zeist, Netherlands. E-mail: hendriks{at}voeding.tno.nl
Abstract
OBJECTIVE—Epidemiological studies suggest that moderate alcohol consumers have enhanced insulin sensitivity and a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes. Adiponectin, an adipocyte-derived plasma protein, has been found to be negatively associated with adiposity and positively associated with insulin sensitivity. Moderate alcohol consumption may increase adiponectin, which in turn causes a decrease of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α. A decreased TNF-α level may consequently increase insulin sensitivity.
RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS—To test this hypothesis, we performed a randomized crossover partially diet-controlled study. A total of 23 healthy middle-aged male subjects consumed daily four glasses of whisky (40 g ethanol) or tap water with dinner during two successive periods of 17 days.
RESULTS—Moderate alcohol consumption increased plasma adiponectin level (11%; P = 0.0002) but did not affect plasma TNF-α level. An increase in insulin sensitivity index was observed in an insulin-resistant subgroup (21%; P = 0.11), which positively correlated with the relative alcohol-induced increase in plasma adiponectin level (r = 0.73, P = 0.02).
CONCLUSIONS—The experimental results are in agreement with observational data. Moderate alcohol consumption improved insulin sensitivity in relatively insulin-resistant middle-aged men, an effect that may be mediated through alcohol-induced increases in adiponectin.
Footnotes
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A table elsewhere in this issue shows conventional and Système International (SI) units and conversion factors for many substances.
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- Accepted October 2, 2003.
- Received April 14, 2003.
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