Can Metformin Slow Down the Aging Process?

Hyperglycemia-r,elated to diabetes is known to cause oxidative stress and thus accelerate aging process. Metformin is the most widely used anti-diabetic drug in the world. It reduces advanced glycation end products (AGEs)-induced ROS generation in high glucose condition. Protein glycation contributes to skin aging as it deteriorates the existing collagen by crosslinking. The progressive increase in AGE during aging not only causes oxidative damage to cellular macromolecules but also modulates the activation of transcription factors nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-kB). However, it is still unclear whether metformin can change collagen production and NF-kB activity induced by hyperglycemia. Previously, our studies show that the metformin exposure leads to decreased apoptosis and increased proliferation of cells in high glucose condition. Metformin exposure also leads to increased production of collagen and decreased activation of NF-kB(p65) activity. Metformin has a protective effect of skin aging under high glucose conditions inducing cell proliferation collagen I and III production protection from apoptosis and reducing NF-kB(p65) activity