Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36768561›Full record

ArticleInternational journal of molecular sciences2023

Anti-Obesity Effects of Metformin: A Scoping Review Evaluating the Feasibility of Brown Adipose Tissue as a Therapeutic Target.

Khanyisani Ziqubu, Sithandiwe E Mazibuko-Mbeje, Sinenhlanhla X H Mthembu, Sihle E Mabhida, Babalwa U Jack, Tawanda M Nyambuya, Bongani B Nkambule, Albertus K Basson, Luca Tiano, Phiwayinkosi V Dludla

Full text readScoping Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in International journal of molecular sciences, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 33 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
33citing papers in PubMed, 4 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
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

33 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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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.

Khanyisani ZiqubuBiomedical Research and Innovation Platform, South African Medical Research Council, Tygerberg 7505, South Africa.ORCID 0000-0002-1211-9688
Sithandiwe E Mazibuko-MbejeDepartment of Biochemistry, North-West University, Mmabatho 2745, South Africa.
Sinenhlanhla X H MthembuBiomedical Research and Innovation Platform, South African Medical Research Council, Tygerberg 7505, South Africa.ORCID 0000-0003-2747-1841
Sihle E MabhidaBiomedical Research and Innovation Platform, South African Medical Research Council, Tygerberg 7505, South Africa.
Babalwa U JackBiomedical Research and Innovation Platform, South African Medical Research Council, Tygerberg 7505, South Africa.
Tawanda M NyambuyaDepartment of Health Sciences, Namibia University of Science and Technology, Windhoek 9000, Namibia.ORCID 0000-0002-3288-9524
Bongani B NkambuleSchool of Laboratory Medicine and Medical Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 4000, South Africa.
Albertus K BassonDepartment of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Zululand, KwaDlangezwa 3880, South Africa.
Luca TianoDepartment of Life and Environmental Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, 60131 Ancona, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-7519-7106
Phiwayinkosi V DludlaBiomedical Research and Innovation Platform, South African Medical Research Council, Tygerberg 7505, South Africa.ORCID 0000-0001-5965-3610

Funding

National Research Foundation 120417
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Brown adipose tissue (BAT) is increasingly recognized as the major therapeutic target to promote energy expenditure and ameliorate diverse metabolic complications. There is a general interest in understanding the pleiotropic effects of metformin against metabolic complications. Major electronic databases and search engines such as PubMed/MEDLINE, Google Scholar, and the Cochrane library were used to retrieve and critically discuss evidence reporting on the impact of metformin on regulating BAT thermogenic activity to ameliorate complications linked with obesity. The summarized evidence suggests that metformin can reduce body weight, enhance insulin sensitivity, and improve glucose metabolism by promoting BAT thermogenic activity in preclinical models of obesity. Notably, this anti-diabetic agent can affect the expression of major thermogenic transcriptional factors such as uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1), nuclear respiratory factor 1 (NRF1), and peroxisome-proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1-alpha (PGC1-α) to improve BAT mitochondrial function and promote energy expenditure. Interestingly, vital molecular markers involved in glucose metabolism and energy regulation such as AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) are similarly upregulated by metformin treatment in preclinical models of obesity. The current review also discusses the clinical relevance of BAT and thermogenesis as therapeutic targets. This review explored critical components including effective dosage and appropriate intervention period, consistent with the beneficial effects of metformin against obesity-associated complications.

Indexed as

Adipose Tissue, BrownMetforminAdipose Tissue, WhiteEnergy MetabolismFeasibility StudiesGlucoseHumansObesityThermogenesisUncoupling Protein 1GlucoseMetforminUncoupling Protein 1brown adipose tissuemetabolismmetforminobesitytherapeutic targetthermogenesis

Identifiers

PMID36768561
PMCPMC9917329

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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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.