TNF and obesity due to melanocortin 4 receptor deficiency: Adiponectin is another dysregulated adipokine in obesity, widely involved in a diversity of pathological processes, including degenerative disc diseases.49 Yuan and colleagues found that adiponectin expression level was decreased in degenerated disks and NP cells.50 Furthermore, adiponectin could inhibit the TNF-α expression of degenerated NP cells to prevent the disc from degeneration.