Associations Among Age, Physical Activity, and Serum Resistin and Adiponectin Levels: 3338 Board #207 June 2 9 30 AM - 11 00 AM

Adipose tissue was considered a passive reservoir for energy storage, but now is viewed as an active endocrine organ secreting adipokines such as resistin and adiponectin. Resistin tends to be inflammatory in nature, while adiponectin tends to be anti-inflammatory, with both being related to insulin resistance. Few researchers have examined the impact of age and physical activity level on serum resistin and adiponectin within the same study. The PURPOSE of this study was to assess the relationships among age, physical activity level, and resistin and adiponectin levels in healthy young and older adults. METHODS: A convenience sample was used consisting of 20 young (10 M/10 F; age: 21.0±1.2y; BMI: 24.3±4.5 kg·m-2) and 20 older (6 M/14 F; Age: 68.4±4.0y; BMI: 25.5±3.1 kg·m-2) adults. Physical activity frequency and intensity were determined in young and older subjects using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) and the Community Healthy Activities Model Plan for Seniors (CHAMPS), respectively. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays were used for the detection and quantification of serum resistin and adiponectin. RESULTS: Young and older subjects had average resistin levels of 3.49 ± 0.97 ng·mL-1 and 2.97 ± 0.69 ng·mL-1; and adiponectin levels of 101.40 ± 61.65 ng·mL-1 and 106.03 ± 59.39 ng·mL-1, respectively. Physical activity level was not correlated with either resistin or adiponectin. Resistin tended to be lower in older compared to young subjects (p= 0.056). There was no significant difference in adiponectin levels between young and old subjects (p= 0.57). Adiponectin was correlated with BMI within both groups (old: r = -0.45, p = 0.034; young: r = -0.46, p = 0.043) and when old and young subject data were combined (r = -0.45, p = 0.004). CONCLUSIONS: Body composition appears to be more predictive of serum levels of the anti-inflammatory adipokine, adiponectin, than either age or physical activity level. Surprisingly, resistin, a pro-inflammatory adipokine, was lower in older compared to young adults. Future studies with larger sample sizes and objective measures of physical activity level are warranted to better understand the relationships among age, physical activity level, and the expression of these adipokines.