Metformin is becoming a popular treatment before and during pregnancy, but current literature on in utero exposure to metformin lacks long-term clinical trials and mechanistic studies. Current literature on the effects of metformin on mature pancreatic β-cells highlights its dual, opposing, protective, or inhibitory effects, depending on metabolic environment. However, the impact of metformin on developing human pancreatic β-cells remains unknown. In this study, we investigated the potential effects of metformin exposure on human pancreatic β-cell development and function in vitro. In the absence of metabolic challenges such as high levels of glucose and fatty acids, metformin exposure impaired the development and function of pancreatic β-cells, with downregulation of pancreatic genes and dysfunctional mitochondrial respiration. It also affected the insulin secretion function of pancreatic β-cells. These findings call for further in-depth evaluation of the exposure of human embryonic and fetal tissue during pregnancy to metformin and its implications for long-term offspring health.
© 2021 by the American Diabetes Association.