Anti-Inflammatory Potential of the Anti-Diabetic Drug Metformin in the Prevention of Inflammatory Complications and Infectious Diseases Including COVID-19: A Narrative Review.

Metformin, a widely used first-line anti-diabetic therapy for the treatment of type-2 diabetes, has been shown to lower hyperglycemia levels in the blood by enhancing insulin actions. For several decades this drug has been used globally to successfully control hyperglycemia. Lactic acidosis has been shown to be a major adverse effect of metformin in some type-2 diabetic patients, but several studies suggest that it is a typically well-tolerated and safe drug in most patients.

Role of Innate Immune and Inflammatory Responses in the Development of Secondary Diabetic Complications.

Increased hyperglycemia due to uncontrolled diabetes is the major cause of secondary diabetic complications such as retinopathy, neuropathy, nephropathy, and cardiovascular diseases. Although it is well known that increased oxidative stress, activation of the polyol pathway, protein kinase C and increased generation of advanced glycation end products could contribute to the development of diabetic complications, recent studies implicated the role of innate immunity and its related inflammatory responses in the pathophysiology of secondary diabetic complications. Increased activation of oxidative stress signaling could regulate NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated innate immune responses as well as NF-κB signalosome-mediated pro-inflammatory responses.

Higher fasting plasma FGF21 concentration is associated with lower ad libitum soda consumption in humans.

Background: The hepatokine fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) influences eating behavior and sugar consumption in rodent models. However, whether circulating FGF21 concentration is associated with food and soda intake in humans is still unclear.

Objective: We investigated whether fasting plasma FGF21 concentration is associated with objective measures of ad libitum food intake and soda consumption.

Lower insulin clearance is associated with increased risk of type 2 diabetes in Native Americans.

Aims/hypothesis: Impaired insulin clearance is implicated in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes, but prospective evidence remains limited. Therefore, we sought to identify factors associated with the metabolic clearance rate of insulin (MCRI) and to investigate whether lower MCRI is associated with increased risk of incident type 2 diabetes.

Methods: From a longitudinal cohort, 570 adult Native Americans without diabetes living in the Southwestern United States were characterised at baseline and 448 participants were monitored over a median follow-up period of 7.

Thigh Adipocyte Size is Inversely Related to Energy Intake and Respiratory Quotient in Healthy Women.

Objective: The relationship between adipocyte size and ad libitum energy intake has not been previously examined. This study hypothesized an inverse relationship between adipocyte size and daily energy intake (DEI).

Methods: Seventy healthy adults (39 men and 31 women; BMI 30.