The Impact of Metformin on Circadian Clock Genes

Abstract

Circadian clocks are important to maintain the timing in the cycles of physiological processes, cycles of behaviour and metabolism. Having an intrinsic clock to orchestrate rhythms is also important for human health. Circadian desynchrony, a characteristic of shift work, high-fat diet feeding and sleep disruption in humans have been associated with metabolic disorders such as obesity and type 2 diabetes. The main treatment of type 2 diabetes is the drug metformin whose mechanism, in part, is due to activation of adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK). This mini review summarizes the emerging relationship between molecular clocks, metabolic systems and AMPK and examines evidence that metformin treatment affect the clock machinery in a tissue specific manner.