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Sakata N. The anti-inflammatory effect of metformin: The molecular targets. Genes Cells 2024; 29:183-191. [PMID: 38311861 DOI: 10.1111/gtc.13098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Revised: 12/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 02/06/2024]
Abstract
Metformin is an anti-diabetic drug. Metformin mainly inhibits gluconeogenesis in the liver and reduces blood sugar. In addition to the anti-diabetic effects, many studies have revealed that metformin has anti-inflammatory effects. Various molecules were suggested to be the target of the metformin's anti-inflammatory effects. However, the conclusion is not clear. Metformin is related to a number of molecules and the identification of the main target in anti-inflammatory effects leads to the understanding of inflammation and metformin. In this article, I discuss each suggested molecule, involved mechanisms, and their relationship with various diseases.
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Kincaid JWR, Rimmington D, Tadross JA, Cimino I, Zvetkova I, Kaser A, Richards P, Patel S, O'Rahilly S, Coll AP. The gastrointestinal tract is a major source of the acute metformin-stimulated rise in GDF15. Sci Rep 2024; 14:1899. [PMID: 38253650 PMCID: PMC10803367 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-51866-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
The hormone GDF15 is secreted in response to cellular stressors. Metformin elevates circulating levels of GDF15, an action important for the drug's beneficial effects on body weight. Metformin can also inhibit mammalian respiratory complex I, leading to decreases in ATP:AMP ratio, activation of AMP Kinase (AMPK), and increased GDF15 production. We undertook studies using a range of mice with tissue-specific loss of Gdf15 (namely gut, liver and global deletion) to determine the relative contributions of two classical metformin target tissues, the gut and liver, to the elevation of GDF15 seen with metformin. In addition, we performed comparative studies with another pharmacological agent, the AMP kinase pan-activator, MK-8722. Deletion of Gdf15 from the intestinal epithelium significantly reduced the circulating GDF15 response to oral metformin, whereas deletion of Gdf15 from the liver had no effect. In contrast, deletion of Gdf15 from the liver, but not the gut, markedly reduced circulating GDF15 responses to MK-8722. Further, our data show that, while GDF15 restricts high-fat diet-induced weight gain, the intestinal production of GDF15 is not necessary for this effect. These findings add to the body of evidence implicating the intestinal epithelium in key aspects of the pharmacology of metformin action.
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Affiliation(s)
- John W R Kincaid
- Institute of Metabolic Science, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0QQ, UK
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Debra Rimmington
- Institute of Metabolic Science, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0QQ, UK
| | - John A Tadross
- Institute of Metabolic Science, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0QQ, UK
- Cambridge Genomics Laboratory, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, CB2 0QQ, UK
- NHS East Genomic Laboratory Hub, East Genomics, Cambridge, CB2 0QQ, UK
- Department of Histopathology, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, CB2 0QQ, UK
| | - Irene Cimino
- Institute of Metabolic Science, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0QQ, UK
| | - Ilona Zvetkova
- Institute of Metabolic Science, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0QQ, UK
| | - Arthur Kaser
- Cambridge Institute of Therapeutic Immunology and Infectious Disease, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0AW, UK
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, CB2 0QQ, UK
| | - Paul Richards
- Kallyope, Inc., 430 East 29th, Street, New York, NY, 10016, USA
| | - Satish Patel
- Institute of Metabolic Science, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0QQ, UK
| | - Stephen O'Rahilly
- Institute of Metabolic Science, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0QQ, UK
| | - Anthony P Coll
- Institute of Metabolic Science, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0QQ, UK.
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Exercise mimetics: harnessing the therapeutic effects of physical activity. Nat Rev Drug Discov 2021; 20:862-879. [PMID: 34103713 DOI: 10.1038/s41573-021-00217-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/22/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Exercise mimetics are a proposed class of therapeutics that specifically mimic or enhance the therapeutic effects of exercise. Increased physical activity has demonstrated positive effects in preventing and ameliorating a wide range of diseases, including brain disorders such as Alzheimer disease and dementia, cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. This article discusses the molecular mechanisms and signalling pathways associated with the beneficial effects of physical activity, focusing on effects on brain function and cognitive enhancement. Emerging therapeutic targets and strategies for the development of exercise mimetics, particularly in the field of central nervous system disorders, as well as the associated opportunities and challenges, are discussed.
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Qin S, Ingle JN, Kim W, Gao H, Weinshilboum RM, Wang L. ZNF423 modulates the AMP-activated protein kinase pathway and metformin response in a single nucleotide polymorphisms, estrogen and selective estrogen receptor modulator dependent fashion. Pharmacogenet Genomics 2021; 31:155-164. [PMID: 34001842 PMCID: PMC8340948 DOI: 10.1097/fpc.0000000000000435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2021] [Accepted: 03/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES We previously discovered that the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) rs9940645 in the ZNF423 gene regulate ZNF423 expression and serve as a potential biomarker for response to selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs). Here we explored pathways involved in ZNF423-mediated SERMs response and drugs that potentially sensitize SERMs. METHODS RNA sequencing and label-free quantitative proteomics were performed to identify genes and pathways that are regulated by ZNF423 and the ZNF423 SNP. Both cultured cells and mouse xenograft models with different ZNF423 SNP genotypes were used to study the cellular responses to metformin. RESULTS We identified ribosome and AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) signaling as potential pathways regulated by ZNF423 or ZNF423 rs9940645 SNP. Moreover, using clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/Cas9-engineered ZR75-1 breast cancer cells with different ZNF423 SNP genotypes, striking differences in cellular responses to metformin, either alone or in the combination of tamoxifen, were observed in both cell culture and the mouse xenograft model. CONCLUSIONS We found that AMPK signaling is modulated by the ZNF423 rs9940645 SNP in estrogen and SERM-dependent fashion. The ZNF423 rs9940645 SNP affects metformin response in breast cancer and could be a potential biomarker for tailoring the metformin treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sisi Qin
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics
| | - James N. Ingle
- Department of Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Wootae Kim
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics
- Department of Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Huanyao Gao
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics
| | | | - Liewei Wang
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics
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Iron at the Interface of Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22084097. [PMID: 33921027 PMCID: PMC8071427 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22084097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2021] [Revised: 04/06/2021] [Accepted: 04/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer incidence and mortality are rapidly growing, with liver cancer being the sixth most diagnosed cancer worldwide and the third leading cause of cancer death in 2020. A number of risk factors have been identified that trigger the progression to hepatocellular carcinoma. In this review, we focus on iron as a potential risk factor for liver carcinogenesis. Molecules involved in the regulation of iron metabolism are often upregulated in cancer cells, in order to provide a supply of this essential trace element for all stages of tumor development, survival, proliferation, and metastasis. Thus, cellular and systemic iron levels must be tightly regulated to prevent or delay liver cancer progression. Disorders associated with dysregulated iron metabolism are characterized with increased susceptibility to hepatocellular carcinoma. This review discusses the association of iron with metabolic disorders such as hereditary hemochromatosis, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, obesity, and type 2 diabetes, in the background of hepatocellular carcinoma.
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Acín S, Muñoz DL, Guillen A, Soscue D, Castaño A, Echeverri F, Balcazar N. Triterpene-enriched fractions from Eucalyptus tereticornis ameliorate metabolic alterations in a mouse model of diet-induced obesity. JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY 2021; 265:113298. [PMID: 32860892 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2020.113298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2020] [Revised: 08/11/2020] [Accepted: 08/16/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
ETNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE Eucalyptus tereticornis Sm. (Eu) is a plant species used in traditional medicine to treat diabetes mellitus. Eu leaf extracts have been shown to regulate immuno-metabolic activities that are associated with obesity and insulin resistance. OBE100 and OBE104 are two natural Eu extracts that are rich in pentacyclic triterpenes. The major compounds identified in OBE100 are ursolic acid (UA), oleanolic acid (OA), and ursolic acid lactone (UAL), and the major compounds identified in OBE104 are UA and OA. AIM OF THE STUDY This study aimed to investigate the effects of two extracts from Eu leaves with different triterpene composition in a nutritional animal model of prediabetes. METHODS A mouse model of diet-induced obesity was used to analyze the effects of the OBE100 and OBE104 treatments on metabolic markers and gene expression in liver and visceral adipose tissue. RESULTS Treating the prediabetic mouse model with OBE100 and OBE104 increased glucose tolerance. However, only the Eu extract that contained three triterpenes reduced mouse body weight, hepatic and adipose fat content, and plasma lipid levels. OBE100 treatment also led to decreased hepatic mRNA levels of PPARA, CPT1A, and SERBP1. In visceral adipose tissue, OBE100 treatment reduced expression of PPARA and ACACA and increased UCP1 expression. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that developing a new multitargeting bioactive compound from the natural extract from Eu may help combat obesity and diabetes. Treatment with OBE100 had better effects than OBE104 in a diet-induced obesity mouse model, suggesting that the OBE100 extract, which contains three triterpenes, may be beneficial in combating obesity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergio Acín
- Molecular Genetics Group, Universidad de Antioquia, Calle 70, N° 52-21, A.A, 1226, Medellin, Colombia; Department of Physiology and Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Universidad de Antioquia, Calle 70, N° 52-21, A.A, 1226, Medellin, Colombia
| | - Diana Lorena Muñoz
- Department of Physiology and Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Universidad de Antioquia, Calle 70, N° 52-21, A.A, 1226, Medellin, Colombia
| | - Alis Guillen
- Molecular Genetics Group, Universidad de Antioquia, Calle 70, N° 52-21, A.A, 1226, Medellin, Colombia
| | - Duberney Soscue
- Molecular Genetics Group, Universidad de Antioquia, Calle 70, N° 52-21, A.A, 1226, Medellin, Colombia
| | - Adriana Castaño
- Group of Organic Natural Product Chemistry, Faculty of Natural and Exact Sciences, Universidad de Antioquia, Calle 70, N° 52-21, A.A, 1226, Medellin, Colombia
| | - Fernando Echeverri
- Group of Organic Natural Product Chemistry, Faculty of Natural and Exact Sciences, Universidad de Antioquia, Calle 70, N° 52-21, A.A, 1226, Medellin, Colombia
| | - Norman Balcazar
- Molecular Genetics Group, Universidad de Antioquia, Calle 70, N° 52-21, A.A, 1226, Medellin, Colombia; Department of Physiology and Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Universidad de Antioquia, Calle 70, N° 52-21, A.A, 1226, Medellin, Colombia.
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Metformin prevented high glucose-induced endothelial reactive oxygen species via OGG1 in an AMPKα-Lin-28 dependent pathway. Life Sci 2021; 268:119015. [PMID: 33412215 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2020.119015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2020] [Revised: 12/27/2020] [Accepted: 12/29/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
AIMS Metformin improves vascular function in obese type 2 diabetic patients. 8-Oxoguanine glycosylase (OGG1) is a main DNA glycosylase that is involved in vascular complications in various diseases. However, whether metformin suppresses endothelial reactive species oxygen production via the OGG1 pathway is unclear. MAIN METHODS Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were exposed to HG (high glucose) with or without metformin. OGG1 and AMPKα levels were measured after metformin treatment, while HG-induced ROS were measured by a DHE probe. KEY FINDINGS Metformin reduced HG-induced endothelial ROS by upregulating OGG1. Additionally, OGG1 protein expression was dependent on its mRNA stability, which was reversed by genetic inhibition of AMPKα and Lin-28. Furthermore, the effect of OGG1 on HG-induced ROS was partially dependent on the AHR/Nrf2 pathway in HUVECs. SIGNIFICANCE These results suggested that metformin modulated HG-induced endothelial ROS via the AMPKα/Lin-28/OGG1 pathway.
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BRAF Controls the Effects of Metformin on Neuroblast Cell Divisions in C. elegans. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 22:ijms22010178. [PMID: 33375360 PMCID: PMC7795703 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22010178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2020] [Revised: 12/21/2020] [Accepted: 12/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Metformin has demonstrated substantial potential for use in cancer treatments. Liver kinase B (LKB)-AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and mTOR are reported to be the main targets of metformin in relation to its ability to prevent cancer cell proliferation. However, the role of metformin in the control of neoplastic cancer cell growth is possibly independent of LKB-AMPK and mTOR. Using C. elegans as a model, we found that the neuronal Q-cell divisions in L1-arrested worms were suppressed following metformin treatment in AMPK-deficient mutants, suggesting that the mechanism by which metformin suppresses these cell divisions is independent of AMPK. Our results showed that the mTOR pathway indeed played a role in controlling germ cell proliferation, but it was not involved in the neuronal Q-cell divisions occurring in L1-arrested worms. We found that the neuronal Q-cells divisions were held at G1/S cell stage by metformin in vivo. Additionally, we demonstrated that metformin could reduce the phosphorylation activity of BRAF and block the BRAF-MAPK oncogenesis pathway to regulate neuronal Q-cell divisions during L1 arrest. This work discloses a new mechanism by which metformin treatment acts to promote neuronal cancer prevention, and these results will help promote the study of the anticancer mechanisms underlying metformin treatments.
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Curry DW, Stutz B, Andrews ZB, Elsworth JD. Targeting AMPK Signaling as a Neuroprotective Strategy in Parkinson's Disease. JOURNAL OF PARKINSON'S DISEASE 2018; 8:161-181. [PMID: 29614701 PMCID: PMC6004921 DOI: 10.3233/jpd-171296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder. It is characterized by the accumulation of intracellular α-synuclein aggregates and the degeneration of nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons. While no treatment strategy has been proven to slow or halt the progression of the disease, there is mounting evidence from preclinical PD models that activation of 5'-AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) may have broad neuroprotective effects. Numerous dietary supplements and pharmaceuticals (e.g., metformin) that increase AMPK activity are available for use in humans, but clinical studies of their effects in PD patients are limited. AMPK is an evolutionarily conserved serine/threonine kinase that is activated by falling energy levels and functions to restore cellular energy balance. However, in response to certain cellular stressors, AMPK activation may exacerbate neuronal atrophy and cell death. This review describes the regulation and functions of AMPK, evaluates the controversies in the field, and assesses the potential of targeting AMPK signaling as a neuroprotective treatment for PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel W Curry
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Bernardo Stutz
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
- Department of Comparative Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Zane B Andrews
- Department of Physiology, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, VIC, Australia
| | - John D Elsworth
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
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