Cited by 614Autophagy in Disease and TherapyGenetics, Aging, and Longevity in Model OrganismsMetabolism, Diabetes, and Cancer

Metformin Enhances Autophagy and Normalizes Mitochondrial Function to Alleviate Aging-Associated Inflammation

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Bharath, Leena P., Agrawal, Madhur, McCambridge, Grace, Nicholas, Dequina A., Hasturk, Hatice, Liu, Jing, Jiang, Kai, Liu, Rui +13 more·2020·Cell Metabolism

Abstract

Age is a non-modifiable risk factor for the inflammation that underlies age-associated diseases; thus, anti-inflammaging drugs hold promise for increasing health span. Cytokine profiling and bioinformatic analyses showed that Th17 cytokine production differentiates CD4+ T cells from lean, normoglycemic older and younger subjects, and mimics a diabetes-associated Th17 profile. T cells from older compared to younger subjects also had defects in autophagy and mitochondrial bioenergetics that associate with redox imbalance. Metformin ameliorated the Th17 inflammaging profile by increasing autophagy and improving mitochondrial bioenergetics. By contrast, autophagy-targeting siRNA disrupted redox balance in T cells from young subjects and activated the Th17 profile by activating the Th17 master regulator, STAT3, which in turn bound IL-17A and F promoters. Mitophagy-targeting siRNA failed to activate the Th17 profile. We conclude that metformin improves autophagy and mitochondrial function largely in parallel to ameliorate a newly defined inflammaging profile that echoes inflammation in diabetes.

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  • Metformin activates AMPK, improves mitochondrial function, decreases age-associated inflammation, and improves hyperglycaemia in people with obesity and prediabetes and in high-fat-diet-fed mice.

    “Additionally, metformin, which is widely used to treat T2DM, activates AMPK, improves mitochondrial function, decreases age-associated inflammation and improves hyperglycaemia in people with obesity and prediabetes, as well as in HFD-fed mice238,239.”

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Authors
Bharath, L. P., Agrawal, M., McCambridge, G., Nicholas, D. A., Hasturk, H., Liu, J., Jiang, K., Liu, R., Guo, Z., Deeney, J., Apovian, C. M., Snyder-Cappione, J., Hawk, G. S., Fleeman, R. M., Pihl, R. M. F., Thompson, K., Belkina, A. C., Cui, L., Proctor, E. A., Kern, P. A., & Nikolajczyk, B. S.
Affiliations
  • Merrimack College (US)
  • University of Kentucky (US)
  • University of California San Diego (US)
  • Boston University (US)
  • Pennsylvania State University (US)
Corresponding author
Nikolajczyk, Barbara S.
Venue
Cell Metabolism
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2020-07
Volume
32
Issue
1
Pages
44-55.e6
ISSN
1550-4131 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W3024177706
Cited by
614
References
90
Citations by year
2026: 66 · 2025: 123 · 2024: 110 · 2023: 120 · 2022: 83 · 2021: 81 · 2020: 29
FWCI
56.30
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Cell Metabolism (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • UKnowledge (University of Kentucky) (submittedVersion)
  • Digital Commons-TMC (Texas Medical Center) (submittedVersion)
Funders
National Institutes of Health
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Autophagy in Disease and Therapy
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Aging › Genetics, Aging, and Longevity in Model Organisms
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Metabolism, Diabetes, and Cancer
Keywords
metformin, autophagy, mitochondrial function, inflammaging, Th17 cells, CD4+ T cells, aging, STAT3, IL-17A, redox imbalance, mitophagy, healthspan
MeSH terms
Adult, Aging, Autophagy, Humans, Hypoglycemic Agents, Inflammation, Metformin, Middle Aged, Mitochondria

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