Apelin: A promising therapeutic target? (Part 1)

Apelin is a recently discovered bioactive peptide, known to be an endogenous high-affinity ligandfor the previously orphan G protein-coupled receptor APJ. Apelin/APJ as a novel signaling pathwayhas been shown to play many crucial roles in cardiovascular function, blood pressure regulation, fluidhomeostasis, feeding behavior, obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, adipoinsular axis regulation, cellproliferation, angiogenesis, neuroprotection and thermoregulation. This ubiquitous peptide opens anew field of research in biology and medicine. In this regard, the aim of this short review is to compilethe evidence for the apelin involvement in modulation of cardiovascular system and introduction ofthis new peptidic pathway as a useful drug target in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases in future.