Proliferation and metastatic potential of endometrial cancer cells in response to metformin treatment in a high versus normal glucose environment.

In order to improve our understanding of the potential preventive and therapeutic role of metformin, the present study aimed to investigate the capability of low-dose metformin in the efficient inhibition of cancer development and the reduction of the metastasis of endometrial adenocarcinoma type I and primary endometrial epithelial cells (eEPs), with the drug acting as a treatment in a hyperinsulinemic environment exposed to high and normal glucose conditions. The Ishikawa endometrial adenocarcinoma cell line and primary eEPs were exposed to an environment with high (17 mM) or normal glucose (5 mM) and treated with insulin, low-dose metformin (0.1 mM) or a combined treatment.