Effects of metformin on lymphocyte DNA damage in obese individuals among Kazakh population.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

The global obesity epidemic is growing worldwide and its further growth is expected in the future. In obesity, the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and cytokines is normally observed, which damage the genetic material. The purpose of this study was to assess lymphocyte DNA damage before and after metformin use in obese individuals.

NOVELTY

The novelty of the article is that for the first time DNA damage in lymphocytes before and after the use of metformin in obese individuals among Kazakh population was studied.

METHODS

Indirect immunofluorescence analysis using the AKLIDES apparatus was used for the quantitative determination of phosphorylated γ-H2AX (Ser 139) and 53BP1 in order to analyze DNA breaks in the lymphocytes.

RESULTS

The data indicating premature cell aging in the visceral adipose tissue in obese individuals were obtained. An increased hypoxia was observed in combination with an increase in γ-H2AX foci. DNA damage monitoring may become an important part of clinical studies of obesity. Advanced methods to diagnose obesity with early detection of precancerous changes imply a personalized approach, which is ineffective without data from genomic studies.

CONCLUSION

This study showed that metformin at a dose of 850 mg/day for 3 months for the treatment of obesity (BMI more than 30 kg/m) resulted in a decrease in DNA breaks in the lymphocytes.