Favorable outcomes of metformin on coronary microvasculature in experimental diabetic cardiomyopathy

Abstract

Although metformin is widely prescribed in diabetes, its use with associated cardiac dysfunction remains debatable. In the current study, we investigated the effect of metformin on coronary microvasculature in experimental diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) induced by streptozotocin. Administration of metformin after induction of DCM, reversed almost all cardiomyocyte degenerative changes induced by DCM. Metformin diminished the significantly increased (p < 0.05) collagen deposited in the DCM. In addition metformin had improved the density of the significantly decreased arteriolar (αSMA+) and capillary (CD31+) coronary microvasculature compared to that of the DCM and non-diabetics (ND) with downregulation of the significantly increased expression (p < 0.05) of COL-I, III, TGF-β, CTGF, ICAM and VCAM genes. Therefore metformin may be beneficial in limiting the fibrotic and the vascular remodeling occurring in DCM at the genetic as well as the structural levels.