Metformin Exerts Anti-inflammatory and Mucus Barrier Protective Effects by Enriching Akkermansia muciniphila in Mice With Ulcerative Colitis.

ABSTRACT: The present study aimed to determine if metformin exerts anti-inflammatory and mucus-protective effects via the gut microbiota. Metformin has extensive benefits including anti-inflammatory effects. Previous studies showed that metformin changed the gut microbiota composition and increases the number of goblet cells. Intestinal dysbiosis and goblet cell depletion are important features of ulcerative colitis (UC). The underlying mechanism and whether metformin can improve the mucus barrier in UC remain unclear. Metformin (400 mg/kg/day) was administered to mice with dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced UC for 2 wk to investigate the effects of metformin on the intestinal mucus barrier. The gut microbiota was depleted, using antibiotics, to explore its role in the mucus-protecting effe

SUBMITTER: Ke H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8514724 | biostudies-literature | 2021

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature