2. Academic Validation
  3. The gastrointestinal tract is a major source of the acute metformin-stimulated rise in GDF15

The gastrointestinal tract is a major source of the acute metformin-stimulated rise in GDF15

  • Sci Rep. 2024 Jan 22;14(1):1899. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-51866-2.
John W R Kincaid 1 2,  Debra Rimmington 1,  John A Tadross 1 3 4 5,  Irene Cimino 1,  Ilona Zvetkova 1,  Arthur Kaser 6 7,  Paul Richards 8,  Satish Patel 1,  Stephen O'Rahilly 1,  Anthony P Coll 9
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 Institute of Metabolic Science, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0QQ, UK.
  • 2 Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
  • 3 Cambridge Genomics Laboratory, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, CB2 0QQ, UK.
  • 4 NHS East Genomic Laboratory Hub, East Genomics, Cambridge, CB2 0QQ, UK.
  • 5 Department of Histopathology, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, CB2 0QQ, UK.
  • 6 Cambridge Institute of Therapeutic Immunology and Infectious Disease, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0AW, UK.
  • 7 Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, CB2 0QQ, UK.
  • 8 Kallyope, Inc., 430 East 29th, Street, New York, NY, 10016, USA.
  • 9 Institute of Metabolic Science, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0QQ, UK. apc36@cam.ac.uk.
PMID: 38253650 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-51866-2
Abstract

The hormone GDF15 is secreted in response to cellular stressors. Metformin elevates circulating levels of GDF15, an action important for the drug's beneficial effects on body weight. Metformin can also inhibit mammalian respiratory complex I, leading to decreases in ATP:AMP ratio, activation of AMP Kinase (AMPK), and increased GDF15 production. We undertook studies using a range of mice with tissue-specific loss of Gdf15 (namely gut, liver and global deletion) to determine the relative contributions of two classical metformin target tissues, the gut and liver, to the elevation of GDF15 seen with metformin. In addition, we performed comparative studies with another pharmacological agent, the AMP kinase pan-activator, MK-8722. Deletion of Gdf15 from the intestinal epithelium significantly reduced the circulating GDF15 response to oral metformin, whereas deletion of Gdf15 from the liver had no effect. In contrast, deletion of Gdf15 from the liver, but not the gut, markedly reduced circulating GDF15 responses to MK-8722. Further, our data show that, while GDF15 restricts high-fat diet-induced weight gain, the intestinal production of GDF15 is not necessary for this effect. These findings add to the body of evidence implicating the intestinal epithelium in key aspects of the pharmacology of metformin action.

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