Metformin-Induced Changes of the Gut Microbiota in Healthy Young Men
- People with type 2 diabetes (T2D) have been shown to have altered gut microbiota compared with healthy people without diabetes. These changes are thought to lead to some of the physiologic qualities associated with T2D. Metformin has been shown to alter this microbiome further, which seemingly results in more positive metabolic changes such as improved glucose metabolism. The changes in the gut microbiome in people with T2D are somewhat difficult to tease apart because most people with T2D are taking metformin. For this reason, to further delineate changes to the gut microbiome unique to metformin use, this study looked at microbiome data from 27 healthy people who were treated with escalating doses of metformin over the course of 6 weeks. The gut microbiome was analyzed using bacterial DNA extraction and 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing before and after treatment. The results of this study showed that the relative abundance of 11 bacterial genera significantly changed during the intervention but returned to baseline levels after metformin was discontinued. In addition, the relative abundance at baseline of 12 bacterial genera predicted self-reported gastrointestinal adverse effects attributed to metformin.
- This study sheds light on several aspects of metformin therapy that could contribute to efficacy of the therapy and the occurrence of some of the most prevalent side effects. More and more attention is being paid to changes in the gut microbiome related to metabolism and health. This is a major step forward in understanding some of the most physiologically relevant effects of the most common medications for T2D.
– Jason Sloane, MD
