Metformin Attenuates Silica-induced Pulmonary Fibrosis via AMPK Signaling

Abstract

Background: Silicosis is one of the most common occupational pulmonary fibrosis caused by respirable silica-based particle exposure, with no ideal drugs at present. Metformin, a commonly used biguanide antidiabetic agent, could activate AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) to exert its pharmacological action. Therefore, we sought to investigate the role of metformin in silica-induced lung fibrosis.Methods: The anti-fibrotic role of metformin was assessed in 50 mg/kg silica-induced lung fibrosis model. SiO2-stimulated lung epithelial cells/macrophages and TGF-β-induced differentiated lung fibroblasts were used for in vitro models.Results: At the concentration of 300 mg/kg in the mouse model, metformin significantly reduced lung inflammation and fibrosis in SiO2-instilled mice at the early and late fibrotic stages. Besides, metformin (range 2mM to 10mM) reversed SiO2-induced cell toxicity, oxidative stress, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition process in epithelial cells (A549 and HBE), inhibited inflammation response in macrophages (THP-1), and alleviated TGF-β1-stimulated fibroblast activation in lung fibroblasts (MRC-5) via an AMPK-dependent pathway.Conclusions: In this study, we identified that metformin might be a potential drug for silicosis treatment.