HYDERABAD, Jan 17:
Scientists at the city-based Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT) and Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) have found that metformin, a widely used anti-diabetic drug all over the world, had protective effects in regressing cardiovascular abnormalities not only in diabetics but also in non-diabetics suffering from vascular disorders. In this context, Dr Srigiridhar Kotamraju, leader of the IICT-CCMB study group, said clinicians may have to take a closer look at these beneficial effects of metformin and see whether such a coorelation existed in patients who were on metformin prescription.
Metformin is the first-line drug of choice to manage Type 2 diabetes especially in obese and overweight people and even those with normal kidney function. Metformin primarily controls blood glucose levels by inhibiting the glucose production by the liver. Recently, metformin had been shown to slow the aging process and increase the life span.
The IICT-CCMB scientists showed metformin effectively inhibited the angiotensin-II-induced atherosclerotic disease process when administered to Apolipoprotein (Apo) E knockout mice.
Atherosclerosis is a vascular disease in which plaque (made up of calcium, cholesterol and fat) builds up inside the arteries and thereby hampers the oxygen-rich blood flow to different organs of the body which may cause serious problems including heart attack and stroke. It was found that metformin greatly inhibited the monocyte-to-macrophage differentiation and the associated inflammatory processes during monocyte differentiation via affecting STAT3 phosporylation.
Enhanced monocyte/macrophage infiltration is considered to be one of the major factors responsible for exacerbating the progression of atherosclerosis by causing the release of inflammatory cytokines and proliferation of smooth muscle cells.
All these result in the narrowing of arteries, ultimately leading to the decreased blood flow. Metformin treatment significantly decreased the macrophage levels around the sub-endothelial space in the aorta of mice.
(UNI)
Trending Now
E-Paper
Follow our WhatsApp channel