Hormone that acts as a blood lipid regulator by regulating serum triglyceride levels (PubMed:22569073, PubMed:22809513, PubMed:23150577). May be involved in the metabolic transition between fasting and refeeding: required to direct fatty acids to adipose tissue for storage in the fed state (By similarity). Interacts with ANGPTL3. Predominantly expressed in liver. Also expressed in adipose tissues. Transcripts are up-regulated by 100 fold during adipogenesis. In response to food intake. Stimulated by insulin. Proteolytically cleaved at the N-terminus. The gene represented in this entry may be involved in disease pathogenesis. Increased protein levels are observed in the serum of patients. This result should however be reinvestigated in light of recent advances that suggest that this protein is not promoting pancreatic beta cell proliferation. The gene represented in this entry may be involved in disease pathogenesis. Increased protein levels are observed in the serum of patients and are associated with insulin resistance (PubMed:25024395, PubMed:25303484, PubMed:24963292, PubMed:24852694). According to another report, protein levels are decreased in the serum of patients (PubMed:25050901). Discrepancies between increased and decreased levels of proteins levels in NIDDM patients may be explained by the use of different kits developed on the market that either use antibodies recognizing the N-terminal or the C-terminal part of the protein (PubMed:25099942). These results should however be reinvestigated in light of recent advances that suggest that this protein is not promoting pancreatic beta cell proliferation. Belongs to the ANGPTL8 family. Initially reported to specifically promote pancreatic beta cell proliferation without insulin resistance and to promote beta cell mass expansion, thereby improving glucose tolerance (PubMed:23623304). However, this result could not be confirmed by further studies and the original paper was later retracted (PubMed:28038792). The lack of a role in beta cell proliferation was also confirmed in another study (PubMed:25417115). Extended N-terminus.