Metformin causes a reduction in basal and post-venous occlusion plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 in type 2 diabetic...

The effects of metformin on the fibrinolytic system were studied pre- and post-venous occlusion in 38 Type 2 diabetic patients in a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. After a 3-week run-in period, 21 patients received metformin and 17 placebo, for 6 weeks. In the metformin-treated patients basal plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 antigen (PAI-1Ag) fell from 57.4 micrograms l-1 before treatment to 36.1 (p less than 0.05) and 41.0 micrograms l-1 (p less than 0.01) after 3 and 6 weeks therapy. In this group post-venous occlusion PAI-1Ag also fell after 3 weeks (p less than 0.002) and 6 weeks (p less than 0.05) treatment. There were no changes in either basal or post-venous occlusion concentrations of PAI-1Ag in the placebo treated group. The fall in PAI-1Ag was not associated with an increase in basal plasminogen activator activity (PAA) which remained unchanged in both groups. Post-venous occlusion values for PAA in the metformin treated patients were increased at 3 weeks (p less than 0.05) although there was no difference at 6 weeks.