Non-hypoglycemic effect of metformin in renal protection:a literature review / 中国药理学通报

The effectiveness,safety and economy of metformin on type 2 diabetes mellitus therapy are well recognized, which has been used as the first-line oral hypoglycemic agent in recent dec-ades. Apart from hypoglycemic effect, recent studies show that metformin can exert renal protection via the mechanisms of auto-phagy induction, anti-senescence, antioxidative stress, against endoplasmic reticulum stress,anti-inflammation, and anti-fibro-sis through AMPK dependent or independent pathway, which prompt its therapeutic potential in acute kidney injury and chron-ic kidney disease. The non-hypoglycemic nephroprotective effects as well as their underlying mechanisms of metformin are summarized in this review.