Metformin turns 62 in pharmacotherapy: Emergence of non-glycaemic effects and potential novel therapeutic applications.
Eur J Pharmacol
; 898: 173934, 2021 May 05.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1086916
ABSTRACT
Metformin is the most commonly prescribed oral antidiabetic medication. Direct/indirect activation of Adenosine Monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and non-AMPK pathways, amongst others, are deemed to explain the molecular mechanisms of action of metformin. Metformin is an established insulin receptor sensitising antihyperglycemic agent, is highly affordable, and has superior safety and efficacy profiles. Emerging experimental and clinical evidence suggests that metformin has pleiotropic non-glycemic effects. Metformin appears to have weight stabilising, renoprotective, neuroprotective, cardio-vascular protective, and antineoplastic effects and mitigates polycystic ovarian syndrome. Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of metformin seem to qualify it as an adjunct therapy in treating infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, viral hepatitis, and the current novel Covid-19 infections. So far, metformin is the only prescription medicine relevant to the emerging field of senotherapeutics. Non-glycemic effects of metformin favourable to its repurposing in therapeutic use are hereby discussed.
Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Protective Agents
/
Hypoglycemic Agents
/
Immunologic Factors
/
Metformin
/
Anti-Infective Agents
/
Antineoplastic Agents
Type of study:
Experimental Studies
/
Observational study
/
Prognostic study
Limits:
Animals
/
Female
/
Humans
Language:
English
Journal:
Eur J Pharmacol
Year:
2021
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
J.ejphar.2021.173934
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