Medical News Observer

A recent study at Sahlgrenska Academy and University of Girona indicates thatcontrol of blood glucose by metformin is achieved partly through modulation of the gut microbiota. Results of the study are published in journal Nature Medicine.

Fredrik Bäckhed’s research group at Sahlgrenska Academy has previously shown that the gut microbiota is altered in patients with type 2 diabetes and after bariatric surgery. By conducting a clinical study in patients with new onset diabetes, the group could clarify how the gut microbiomeis affected by metformin.

Sequencing of the microbiome of 22 patients before and after treatment compared with a placebo treated group of patients showed that the gut microbiome was altered dramatically within two months of treatment. Through experiments in the laboratory, the researchers demonstrated that metformin increases the growth of several bacterial species that are linked to improved metabolism.

Citation: Wu, Hao, Eduardo Esteve, Valentina Tremaroli, Muhammad Tanweer Khan, Robert Caesar, Louise Mannerås-Holm, Marcus Ståhlman, Lisa M. Olsson, Matteo Serino, Mercè Planas-Fèlix, Gemma Xifra, Josep M. Mercader, David Torrents, Rémy Burcelin, Wifredo Ricart, Rosie Perkins, José Manuel Fernàndez-Real, and Fredrik Bäckhed. “Metformin alters the gut microbiome of individuals with treatment-naive type 2 diabetes, contributing to the therapeutic effects of the drug.” Nature Medicine, 2017.
doi:10.1038/nm.4345.
Adapted from press release by  the University of Gothenburg.