Insulin-Like Growth Factor 1/Mammalian Target of Rapamycin and AMP-Activated Protein Kinase Signaling Involved in the Effects of Metformin in the Human Endometrial Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Metformin is a well-tolerated biguanide drug used for decades to treat type 2 diabetes mellitus. In recent years, long-term administration of metformin has been found to reduce carcinogenic risk for cancers derived from various tissues. However, its cellular and molecular mechanisms of anticancer action in the endometrial cancer (EC) have not yet been fully elucidated.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: Sixty patients diagnosed as endometrial carcinoma were grouped into (n = 30) and non-treatment mixed (n = 30) for analysis. Thirty healthy donors are control groups. We attempt to investigate the interaction of metformin, insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) expression, and phosphorylated mammalian target of rapamycin (p-mTOR) and AMP-activated protein kinase (p-AMPK).

RESULTS: We found that high IGF-1 plasma concentrations in women with EC were reversed by conventional antidiabetic doses of metformin in the present work. In parallel, the activation of AMPK and suppression of mTOR seemed to play an important role for the effect of metformin in patients with EC.

CONCLUSIONS: This pilot trial presents biological evidence consistent with antiproliferative effects of metformin in women with EC in the clinical setting.