Methyl succinate antagonises biguanide‐induced AMPK‐activation and death of pancreatic <i>β</i>‐cells through restoration of mitochondrial electron transfer

Abstract

AMPK activation can partly be attributed to metformin's inhibitory action on mitochondrial complex I. Anaplerotic fuel metabolism via complex II rescued beta-cells from metformin-associated toxicity. We propose that utilisation of anaplerotic nutrients may reconcile in vitro and in vivo effects of metformin on the pancreatic beta-cell.