Effects of metformin on gut microbiota and short-/medium-chain fatty acids in high-fat diet rats.
10.11817/j.issn.1672-7347.2025.250151
- Author:
Ying SHI
1
,
2
;
Lin XING
1
;
Shanyu WU
1
;
Fangzhi YUE
1
;
Tianqiong HE
3
;
Jing ZHANG
3
;
Lingxuan OUYANG
3
;
Suisui GAO
3
;
Dongmei ZHANG
1
;
Zhijun ZHOU
4
Author Information
1. Department of Endocrinology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha
2. xyshiying@tmmu.edu.cn.
3. Department of Laboratory Animal Science, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha 410013, China.
4. Department of Laboratory Animal Science, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha 410013, China. zhouzhijun@csu.edu.cn.
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
gut microbiota;
medium chain fatty acids;
metabolism;
metformin;
short chain fatty acids
- MeSH:
Animals;
Metformin/pharmacology*;
Rats, Sprague-Dawley;
Diet, High-Fat/adverse effects*;
Rats;
Gastrointestinal Microbiome/drug effects*;
Male;
Fatty Acids, Volatile/metabolism*;
Fatty Acids/metabolism*
- From:
Journal of Central South University(Medical Sciences)
2025;50(5):851-863
- CountryChina
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
OBJECTIVES:Recent evidence suggests that the gut may be a primary site of metformin action. However, studies on the effects of metformin on gut microbiota remain limited, and its impact on gut microbial metabolites such as short-/medium-chain fatty acids is unclear. This study aims to investigate the effects of metformin on gut microbiota, short-/medium-chain fatty acids, and associated metabolic benefits in high-fat diet rats.
METHODS:Twenty-four Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 3 groups: 1) Normal diet group (ND group), fed standard chow; 2) high-fat diet group (HFD group), fed a high-fat diet; 3) high-fat diet + metformin treatment group (HFD+Met group), fed a high-fat diet for 8 weeks, followed by daily intragastric administration of metformin solution (150 mg/kg body weight) starting in week 9. At the end of the experiment, all rats were sacrificed, and serum, liver, and colonic contents were collected for assessment of glucose and lipid metabolism, liver pathology, gut microbiota composition, and the concentrations of short-/medium-chain fatty acids.
RESULTS:Metformin significantly improved HFD-induced glucose and lipid metabolic disorders and liver injury. Compared with the HFD group, the HFD+Met group showed reduced abundance of Blautia, Romboutsia, Bilophila, and Bacteroides, while Lactobacillus abundance significantly increased (all P<0.05). Colonic contents of butyric acid, 2-methyl butyric acid, valeric acid, octanoic acid, and lauric acid were significantly elevated (all P<0.05), whereas acetic acid, isoheptanoic acid, and nonanoic acid levels were significantly decreased (all P<0.05). Spearman correlation analysis revealed that Lactobacillus abundance was negatively correlated with body weight gain and insulin resistance, while butyrate and valerate levels were negatively correlated with insulin resistance and liver injury (all P<0.05).
CONCLUSIONS:Metformin significantly increases the abundance of beneficial bacteria such as Lactobacillus and promotes the production of short-/medium-chain fatty acids including butyric, valeric, and lauric acid in the colonic contents of HFD rats, suggesting that metformin may regulate host metabolism through modulation of the gut microbiota.
