Klk7 plays a role in body fat regulation and insulin sensitivity

Background: Previous studies showed that beneficial effects on glucose metabolism of vaspin are at least in part mediated through inhibition of the protease Kallikrein 7 (Klk7). Based on these findings, we investigated the physiological relevance of Klk7 in mice with a targeted whole-body disruption of Klk7 in vivo. Methods: We generated a whole-body Klk7 knockout mouse (Klk7-/-) and systematically characterized the consequences of Klk7 deficiency on body weight, fat mass and parameters of glucose and lipid metabolism under chow and high fat diet conditions (HFD). Results: Klk7 deficiency causes significant chan…