Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 8, 2026
06:26
Mouse Model of Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease with Fibrosis
Published on: July 18, 2025
Metformin raises hydrogen sulfide tissue concentrations in various mouse organs
Bogdan Wiliński1, Jerzy Wiliński, Eugeniusz Somogyi
1Department of Human Developmental Biology, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Kraków, Poland. bowil@interia.pl
Pharmacological Reports : PR
|August 17, 2013
Summary
Metformin increases hydrogen sulfide (H2S) levels in mouse brain, heart, and kidneys. Liver H2S levels significantly increased with a lower metformin dose but only slightly with a higher dose.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Pharmacology
- Physiology
Background:
- Type 2 diabetes mellitus epidemic necessitates novel therapeutic strategies.
- Metformin, a key insulin sensitizer, has complex mechanisms of action.
- Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) plays crucial roles in mammalian physiology and pathophysiology.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the unexplored interaction between biguanides and H2S.
- To determine the effect of metformin on tissue H2S concentrations in mice.
Main Methods:
- Adult female SJL mice received daily intraperitoneal injections of metformin (100 mg/kg or 200 mg/kg) or saline (control).
- Tissue concentrations of free and acid-labile H2S were quantified using a modified Siegel spectrophotometric method.
Main Results:
- Metformin administration significantly increased H2S concentrations in the brain, heart, and kidneys in a dose-dependent manner.
- Liver H2S levels showed a substantial increase at the lower metformin dose (100 mg/kg) but a smaller increase at the higher dose (200 mg/kg).
Conclusions:
- Metformin treatment leads to elevated H2S levels in multiple mouse organs, including the brain, heart, kidney, and liver.
- These findings suggest a potential link between metformin's pharmacological effects and endogenous H2S production.
