Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34197485›Full record

ArticlePloS one2021

The genetic association of the transcription factor NPAT with glycemic response to metformin involves regulation of fuel selection.

Changwei Chen, Jennifer R Gallagher, Jamie Tarlton, Lidy van Aalten, Susan E Bray, Michael L J Ashford, Rory J McCrimmon, Ewan R Pearson, Alison D McNeilly, Calum Sutherland

Open access · goldFull text read
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact, top 94% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed, 0 citations in OpenAlex.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Changwei ChenDivision of Cellular Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, James Arnott Drive, Dundee, United Kingdom.
Jennifer R GallagherDivision of Systems Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, James Arnott Drive, Dundee, United Kingdom.
Jamie TarltonDivision of Systems Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, James Arnott Drive, Dundee, United Kingdom.ORCID 0000-0003-2451-8958
Lidy van AaltenDivision of Cellular Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, James Arnott Drive, Dundee, United Kingdom.
Susan E BrayTayside Tissue Bank, School of Medicine, University of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, James Arnott Drive, Dundee, United Kingdom.
Michael L J AshfordDivision of Systems Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, James Arnott Drive, Dundee, United Kingdom.
Rory J McCrimmonDivision of Systems Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, James Arnott Drive, Dundee, United Kingdom.ORCID 0000-0002-3957-1981
Ewan R PearsonDivision of Population Health and Genomics, School of Medicine, University of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, James Arnott Drive, Dundee, United Kingdom.
Alison D McNeillyDivision of Systems Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, James Arnott Drive, Dundee, United Kingdom.ORCID 0000-0003-4869-178X
Calum SutherlandDivision of Cellular Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, James Arnott Drive, Dundee, United Kingdom.ORCID 0000-0003-4398-7434
University of Dundee · GB

Funding

Medical Research Council G1100203Medical Research Council MR/M020967/1
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The biguanide, metformin, is the first-choice therapeutic agent for type-2 diabetes, although the mechanisms that underpin metformin clinical efficacy remain the subject of much debate, partly due to the considerable variation in patient response to metformin. Identification of poor responders by genotype could avoid unnecessary treatment and provide clues to the underlying mechanism of action. GWAS identified SNPs associated with metformin treatment success at a locus containing the NPAT (nuclear protein, ataxia-telangiectasia locus) and ATM (ataxia-telangiectasia mutated) genes. This implies that gene sequence dictates a subsequent biological function to influence metformin action. Hence, we modified expression of NPAT in immortalized cell lines, primary mouse hepatocytes and mouse tissues, and analysed the outcomes on metformin action using confocal microscopy, immunoblotting and immunocytochemistry. In addition, we characterised the metabolic phenotype of npat heterozygous knockout mice and established the metformin response following development of insulin resistance. NPAT protein was localised in the nucleus at discrete loci in several cell types, but over-expression or depletion of NPAT in immortalised cell models did not change cellular responses to biguanides. In contrast, metformin regulation of respiratory exchange ratio (RER) was completely lost in animals lacking one allele of npat. There was also a reduction in metformin correction of impaired glucose tolerance, however no other metabolic abnormalities, or response to metformin, were found in the npat heterozygous mice. In summary, we provide methodological advancements for the detection of NPAT, demonstrate that minor reductions in NPAT mRNA levels (20-40%) influence metformin regulation of RER, and propose that the association between NPAT SNPs and metformin response observed in GWAS, could be due to loss of metformin modification of cellular fuel usage.

Indexed as

AnimalsAtaxia Telangiectasia Mutated ProteinsBlood GlucoseCell Cycle ProteinsCell Line, TumorDiabetes Mellitus, Type 2Genome-Wide Association StudyGlycemic IndexHEK293 CellsHep G2 CellsHumansHypoglycemic AgentsMetforminMiceMice, Inbred C57BLMice, KnockoutAtaxia Telangiectasia Mutated ProteinsATM protein, humanBlood GlucoseCell Cycle ProteinsHypoglycemic AgentsMetforminNPAT protein, human

Identifiers

PMID34197485
PMCPMC8248654
OpenAlexW3177369155

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Textfull text, public
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.