Metformin Can Prevent Preterm Births, Study Shows

Metformin and Preterm Birth

Metformin, a medicine routinely used by thousands of individuals with Type 2 diabetes, may also play a surprising position in blockading a huge cause of preterm delivery, according to research findings which were released in July 25.

This early-stage study, centered on results from mice bred to be susceptible to premature birth, was led by a group of scientists at Cincinnati Children’s Center together with their colleagues in France and Japan. Their findings were posted online in JCI: The Journal of Clinical Investigation.

The study is essential for two motives. First, it highlights a little-understood molecular pathway that may lead to premature birth via disrupting the functions of the deciduas, a thick membrane that envelopes the uterus and helps in the continued growth of fetuses. Secondly, the researchers exhibited in mice that there are two effective methods for restoring the lining’s functions, further achieving healthy, full-term births.

According to the senior author of the study and the director of the Division of Reproductive Sciences at Cincinnati Children’s Sudhansu K. Dey, This proof-of-concept study illuminates a potential mechanism behind preterm birth. It also demonstrates possible remedies that are already approved for human use.”

The Mystery Behind Preterm Birth

The study examined mice bred to lack the p53 gene within the uterus. This is a condition known to make pregnancies more likely to lead to untimely birth. The new study provides new detail as to why this occurs.

Without the gene, decidual cells exhibit expanded activity of a protein referred to as mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1). In addition they show diminished activity of a signaling protein referred to as AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK).

Combined, these two changes can result in premature cellular aging within the decidua, which in turn, can trick the mother’s body into going into labor. The sooner this occurs, the greater the threat of a miscarriage or untimely birth.

Digging deeper, the research staff learned that an additional protein, referred to as sestrin 2, plays a primary position in coordinating the connection between AMPK and mTORC1 signaling. Levels of sestrin 2 also decline in mice without the p53 gene.

The researchers observed that treating the mice with metformin reversed the early aging cycle, causing sestrin 2 stages and AMPK function to expand and mTORC1 signaling to diminish. The mice treated with metformin went on to have full-term births.

The crew also found equivalent outcomes when treating mice with resveratrol, an anti-oxidant and anti-aging dietary complement from grape seed extract.

These findings lead to a line of research that Dey has pursued for a couple of years. In prior studies, Dey and colleagues learned that rapamycin, an immune suppressing agent, showed promise in mice at preventing preterm birth. Nevertheless, that treatment could also be risky to be used in pregnant females.

Metformin appears to be a potentially safer substitute that works along the same molecular pathway, Dey says.

Preterm delivery can be induced via many motives. It stays unclear what number of preterm births are induced via early decidual aging, but Dey says it would be a big quantity.

Advancing these mice-founded findings into a healing method for would-be moms at danger for preterm beginning would require more work. The method of making ready and conducting human clinical trials to further experiment the drugs would take a few years.

Presently, different investigators are studying metformin and resveratrol for potential to behave as anti-aging drugs. Nonetheless, Dey says his staff has not located any human medical trials investigating the medications for use in stopping preterm birth.

If you want to know more on how to take care of your health the best way possible, feel free to read our other articles on this site.

Reference: Science Daily

Written By: Dr. Marie Gabrielle Laguna Bedia