Fig. 2
From: Tissue-specific role and associated downstream signaling pathways of adiponectin
Role of adiponectin in VSMC. Adiponectin enhances apoptosis and inhibits the proliferation of VSMCs through AdipoR1/dipoR2-mediated activation of MFN2-Ras-Raf-Erk1/2 signaling pathway in pathological condition. Adiponectin-induced activation of AMPK attenuates mTORC1-S6K1-mediated inhibition of insulin signaling and subsequently increases protein synthesis and attenuates FoxO4-mediated inhibition of VSMC proliferation in atherosclerosis. Adiponectin-induced production of endothelial NO also diffuses into the VSMCs and subsequently inhibits the activation of RhoA protein, an upstream factor that induces VSMC hypertrophy through ROCK-Cofilin-mediated increase in F-actin/G-actin ratios following the formation of ROS