A new study has revealed a significant impact on metformin, a drug used for years to treat diabetes. Until now, it was believed that the drug primarily controlled blood sugar by affecting the liver or intestines, but new research has revealed that it also affects the brain. This research is considered a significant change in understanding diabetes treatment methods and could pave the way for new targeted drugs in the future.
Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine in the US found that metformin helps control blood sugar through a specific part of the brain. This research was published in the journal Science Advances. According to this study, the ventromedial hypothalamus, a part of the brain, plays a key role in controlling glucose balance in the body, and metformin affects it.
According to the researchers, a protein called Rap1 plays a crucial role in this process. When this protein’s activity was reduced, metformin effectively lowered blood sugar. Furthermore, neurons called SF1 were also found to be active in this process, which help enhance the drug’s effectiveness. This study used genetically modified mice lacking the Rap1 protein. Metformin did not respond to metformin and blood sugar levels did not improve. When metformin was administered directly to the brain, a very small amount of metformin rapidly decreased blood sugar.
Regarding this study, the researchers believe they also investigated which cells in the ventromedial hypothalamus were involved in mediating metformin’s effects. Analyzing brain tissue samples, researchers measured the electrical activity of SF1 neurons, finding that metformin increased activity in most of them. But only when Rap1 was present. According to the researchers, this research changed their thinking about metformin. It does not just work in the liver or intestine, it also works in the brain. They found that the liver and intestines need high concentrations of the drug to respond, but the brain reacts at much lower levels.