Metformin reverses fatty liver disease in obese, leptin-deficient mice.
There is no known treatment for fatty liver, a ubiquitous cause of chronic liver disease. However, because it is associated with hyperinsulinemia and insulin-resistance, insulin-sensitizing agents might be beneficial. To evaluate this possibility, insulin-resistant ob/ ob mice with fatty livers were treated with metformin, an agent that improves hepatic insulin-resistance. Metformin improved fatty liver disease, reversing hepatomegaly, steatosis and aminotransferase abnormalities. The therapeutic mechanism likely involves inhibited hepatic expression of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) alpha and TNF-inducible factors that promote hepatic lipid accumulation and ATP depletion. These findings suggest a mechanism of action for metformin and identify novel therapeutic targets in insulin-resistant states.[1]References
- Metformin reverses fatty liver disease in obese, leptin-deficient mice. Lin, H.Z., Yang, S.Q., Chuckaree, C., Kuhajda, F., Ronnet, G., Diehl, A.M. Nat. Med. (2000) [Pubmed]
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