The functional activity of hypothalamic signaling systems in rats with neonatal diabetes mellitus treated with metformin.

The effect of the two-month metformin treatment (200 mg/kg/day) of rats with the neonatal model of type 2 diabetes mellitus on the functional activity of hypothalamic signaling systems was studied. It was shown that metformin treatment restored the sensitivity of hypothalamic adenylyl cyclase signaling system to agonists of the type 4 melanocortin receptor and the type 2 dopamine receptor but did not influence significantly the functions of the insulin signaling system. These data suggest new targets and mechanisms of metformin action in the CNS, which may mediate its restoring effect on energy homeostasis impaired in diabetic pathology.