The multifaceted and controversial immunometabolic actions of adiponectin

•Adiponectin has direct and potent insulin-sensitizing effects.•Immunomodulation by adiponectin is pivotal for insulin sensitivity (an indirect effect).•Proinflammatory effects of adiponectin induce a short inflammatory memory.•The induction of short-term memory may govern anti-inflammatory effects of adiponectin.

Adiponectin, one of the most abundant adipose-derived hormones, has variable actions in many tissues and organs. Although principally known for its insulin-sensitizing activity, recent data also highlight its homeostatic function, which is mediated both by direct actions on metabolic cells and indirectly through immunomodulatory effects on immune cells. Here we review the multifaceted immunometabolic actions of adiponectin and attempt to unify some of the contradictory reports on adiponectin function in inflammatory processes. We propose that a holistic understanding of adiponectin function can be garnered only from understanding its actions both on the immune system and on metabolism.