Metformin: The ‘multitasker’ | Society of Life Sciences (SoLS)

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ISSN : 2328-9791

Metformin: The ‘multitasker’

Lathika Mohanraj

Virginia Commonwealth University

Department of Family and Community Health Nursing, School of Nursing, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298

mohanrajl@vcu.edu

Metformin was the first drug synthesized to reduce the blood sugar levels, but was overshadowed by the advent of insulin and other drugs. Today, metformin is the primary drug prescribed for the effective treatment of non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus, obesity and polycystic ovarian syndrome (1). Metformin inhibits hepatic gluconeogenesis through AMP-K dependent regulation of small heterodimer partner (SHP) and the expression of gluconeogenic genes (2). It also increases insulin sensitivity and fatty acid oxidation in skeletal muscle (3). Metformin performs it role as an anti-hypergycemic modulator by suppressing hepatic glucose output, and...................