Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41132542›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in pharmacology2025

Prophylactic administration of metformin alleviates withdrawal symptoms associated with heroin.

Minghong Liu, Junyu Jiang, Xiaolong Wu, Jiaxin Liu, Yang Liu, Shanshan Ling, Huichun Chen, Gongliang Zhang, Yuanhai Li, Gang Pang and 1 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Frontiers in pharmacology, 2025. 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
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.

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

11 authors.

Minghong LiuDepartment of Anesthesiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui University of Science and Technology, Huainan, China.
Junyu JiangAnhui University of Science and Technology, Huainan, China.
Xiaolong WuAnhui Shendong Biotechnology Development Co., Ltd., Huainan, China.
Jiaxin LiuAnhui University of Science and Technology, Huainan, China.
Yang LiuAnhui University of Science and Technology, Huainan, China.
Shanshan LingAnhui University of Science and Technology, Huainan, China.
Huichun ChenDepartment of Anesthesiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui University of Science and Technology, Huainan, China.
Gongliang ZhangCollege of Basic Medical Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.
Yuanhai LiThe First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.
Gang PangCollege of Basic Medical Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.
Xinrong TaoDepartment of Anesthesiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui University of Science and Technology, Huainan, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate whether metformin can alleviate heroin withdrawal symptoms and explore its underlying mechanisms, focusing on its reducing microglia-related neuroinflammation in the CA3 region of hippocampus. Methods: We set up a heroin withdrawal mouse model by the administration of naloxone in heroin-treated mice. To reduce experimental variables, only male mice were considered in this study. The behaviors of withdrawal model mice with saline, naloxone (5 mg/kg), or metformin (100 mg/kg) treatment (n = 12 for each group) were evaluated by Open Field Test (OFT) and Elevated Plus Maze Test. After the behavior tests, brain tissues were collected for histological staining experiments. Our study mainly focused on the hippocampal CA3 region. Protein expression levels of TLR4 (inflammation related) and BAX were analyzed using immunofluorescence staining. Results: Metformin was proved to be capable of improving movement-related and posture-related behavioral changes caused by the naloxone-induced heroin withdrawal. Furthermore, the results of the Open-Field Test and Elevated Plus Maze test were used to demonstrate metformin's role in softening anxiety levels, which was due to its reducing microglia-related neuroinflammation in the CA3 region of hippocampus. This neuronal protection was achieved by downregulating the expression of TLR4 (inflammation related) and BAX (apoptosis marker) protein. Conclusion: Overall, our data suggests that prophylactic administration of metformin has a therapeutic effect on glial-induced neuroinflammation and neuronal apoptosis in heroin withdrawal mice. Histological experiments suggested that metformin reduced microglia-mediated neuroinflammation and downregulated TLR4 and BAX expressions in the hippocampus.

Indexed as

behavior testheroinhippocampusmetforminnaloxone-inducedwithdrawal

Identifiers

PMID41132542
PMCPMC12541182

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
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.