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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Endocrinol.
Sec. Reproduction
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fendo.2025.1526109

Metformin-Mediated Intestinal AMPK Activation Ameliorates PCOS Through Gut Microbiota Modulation and Metabolic Pathways

Provisionally accepted
Yating Xu Yating Xu Li Ning Li Ning YU SI YU SI Xiu Li Xiu Li Ruyue Wang Ruyue Wang Qingling Ren Qingling Ren *
  • The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    PCOS is characterized by metabolic and ovulatory dysfunctions, often accompanied by gut microbiota imbalance. Utilizing letrozole and a high-fat diet to induce PCOS in rats, we investigated the impact of intestinal AMPK. Our results show that metformin, the most commonly used activator of AMPK, not only reversed the metabolic disorders but also restored ovulatory functions. This activation led to significant improvements in the gut microbiota composition and an increase in serum levels of Indole-3-carboxaldehyde (I3A), a metabolite known to mitigate inflammation and apoptosis. The study underscores the potential of targeting intestinal AMPK as a novel approach to managing PCOS, with implications for improving reproductive and metabolic health.

    Keywords: Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, AMP-activated protein kinase, Indole-3-carboxaldehyde, Gut Microbiota, Serum metabolites

    Received: 11 Nov 2024; Accepted: 03 Feb 2025.

    Copyright: © 2025 Xu, Ning, SI, Li, Wang and Ren. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Qingling Ren, The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.