Association between Risk Factors for Vascular Dementia and Adiponectin

Figure 4

Adiponectin attenuates the risk of stroke and vascular dementia. Adiponectin decreases the expression of atherogenic molecules and formation of form cells in blood vessels. Adiponectin attenuates the risk of stroke by decreasing plaque formation in blood vessels. In addition, adiponectin binds with AdipoR1 and AdipoR2 and then activates the phosphorylation of AMPK. Increased AMPK phosphorylation promotes the activation of VEGF and NO synthase mechanism. As a result, adiponectin ameliorates angiogenesis in ischemic brain and reduces infarct size in ischemic brain. Consequentially, adiponectin decreases the risk of stroke and vascular dementia. AMPK: AMP-activated kinase, VEGF: vascular endothelial growth factor, and NO: nitric oxide.