Related Experiment Videos
Metformin has direct effects on human ovarian steroidogenesis
Rebecca Mansfield1, Ray Galea, Mark Brincat
1St. George's Hospital Medical School, Tooting, London, United Kingdom.
Objective:
To investigate the possibility of direct effects of metformin on ovarian steroidogenesis.
Design:
Cultured ovarian cells.
Setting:
Academic research environment.
Patient(S):
Women undergoing bilateral salpingoophorectomy for benign gynecological disease.
Main Outcome Measure(S):
Estradiol and P were measured in granulosa cell (GC) conditioned medium and androstenedione (A) and P in theca conditioned medium.
Result(S):
The effect of addition of metformin alone to GCs was variable, but significant inhibition of both P and E2 was seen (range 0%-30%). Metformin dose-dependently inhibited gonadotrophin and insulin-stimulated P and E2 production (range 25%-50%). In theca, metformin inhibited A production (0%-40%) with no effect on P. In the presence of insulin, A was inhibited dose-dependently and P increased by a similar magnitude.
Conclusion(S):
These results demonstrate a direct effect of metformin on ovarian steroidogenesis. The inhibitory effects on androgen production in particular would be beneficial in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).