Metformin exacerbates diabetic amyotrophy via oxidative stress and gut microbiota alterations

  • Front Microbiol. 2026 Apr 13:17:1778515. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2026.1778515.
Hejie Wang  #  1  2  3 ,  Zhigang Cao  #  1  2  3 ,  Wafa Yousaf  4 ,  Abdul Haseeb  4 ,  Ziyang Wang  5 ,  Jiangang Zheng  1  2  3
Affiliations
  • 1. School of Public Health, Changzhi Medical College, Changzhi, Shanxi, China.
  • 2. Laboratory of Environmental Factors and Population Health, Shanxi Higher Education Institutions of Science and Technology Innovation Plan Platform, Changzhi, China.
  • 3. Key Laboratory of Environmental Pathogenic Mechanisms and Prevention of Chronic Diseases, Changzhi Medical College, Changzhi, China.
  • 4. College of Veterinary Medicine, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu, Shanxi, China.
  • 5. Institute of TCM, Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, Xinjiang, China.
  • # Contributed equally.
PMID: 42052385 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2026.1778515
Abstract

Illustration depicts a mechanistic pathway where metformin affects Desulfovibrio bacteria, leading to increased hydrogen sulfide production. This crosses the intestinal barrier, activates NOS1, induces 3-NT formation, and increases oxidative stress in the gastrocnemius muscle.

Keywords
Desulfovibrio; diabetic amyotrophy; metformin; neuronal nitric oxide synthase; oxidative stress.
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