Kittisak Meepoon Fact checked by:Thailand Medical News Team Dec 01, 2025 1 hour, 16 minutes ago
Medical News: A New Understanding of How a Common Drug Protects the Kidneys
A new study from researchers at King Saud University’s College of Pharmacy and College of Science in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia reveals that metformin, a drug many diabetics already take daily, may provide powerful protection against kidney aging caused by diabetes. Their work shows how metformin blocks inflammation, improves kidney function, and slows down cellular wear and tear inside the kidneys. Early in the study, scientists explain that diabetes can push kidney cells into premature aging due to chronic inflammation and harmful metabolic byproducts, and this
Medical News report highlights how metformin disrupts this damaging cycle.
A new study shows metformin can slow kidney aging and inflammation in diabetes
How the Study Was Done
The research team tested metformin in diabetic rats for ten weeks. Diabetes was induced using a high fat diet combined with low dose streptozotocin, a method known to mimic human type 2 diabetes. The investigators then measured blood sugar, kidney function, inflammation levels, and microscopic signs of kidney damage. They also examined two important molecules, FABP4 and FOXO1, which are linked to inflammation, fat metabolism, and cellular aging.
Key Findings That Stand Out
Metformin lowered blood glucose dramatically and restored cholesterol and triglyceride levels to near normal. Most importantly, it reversed dangerous elevations in creatinine, urea, and blood urea nitrogen—markers that signal kidney strain or early kidney failure. Microscopic images of kidney tissue on page 6 of the study file show that untreated diabetic rats had enlarged, damaged glomeruli and widespread cell death, while kidneys from metformin-treated rats looked far healthier with preserved structure and less inflammation.
The drug also sharply reduced harmful inflammatory cytokines such as IL6 and TNF alpha while boosting IL10, a protective anti-inflammatory molecule. At the cellular level, metformin shut down overactivity of FABP4 and FOXO1, both of which normally rise in diabetic kidneys and push cells toward stress and senescence. Additional data displayed in the histology panels and protein expression charts show that metformin lowered the aging marker p16INK4a and shifted macrophages away from destructive M1 behavior toward the healing oriented M2 type.
What These Results Mean
These findings suggest that metformin not only controls sugar levels but also shields the kidneys from aging by calming inflammation, rebalancing immune cells, and correcting metabolic stress. This research opens the door to future therapies aimed at slowing kidney deterioration in diabetics. The conclusion of the study emphasizes that targeting the FABP4FOXO1 pathway could be a promising strategy to prevent kidney damage long before it becomes irreversible.
Overall, the evidence strongly supports metformin as a potential cornerstone for new immunometabolic treatments designed to protect aging organs in diabetes.
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The study findings were published in the peer reviewed journal: Pharmaceuticals.
https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8247/18/12/1834
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Medical News.
Read Also:
https://www.thailandmedical.news/articles/diabetes
https://www.thailandmedical.news/articles/nephrology-(kidneys)
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