What if metformin which is an antidiabetic could relieve the symptoms of nicotine withdrawal and thus help to quit smoking? In any case, this is what a recent study suggests.
METFORMIN MORE EFFECTIVE THAN NICOTINE SUBSTITUTES?
A study in mice (to be read in the Proceedings of the American Academy of Sciences) suggests that metformin, a known medicine against type 2 diabetes, can relieve the symptoms of withdrawal of nicotine.
Long-term exposure to nicotine activates an enzyme called AMPK, located in the hippocampal area and involved in memory and emotions. Activation of the AMPK chemical pathway has already been shown to contribute to a good mood, short-lived, and to the stimulation of memory and concentration. These traits follow moreover and in general the fact of smoking a cigarette.
The elimination of nicotine stops this stimulation, which can contribute to low mood, irritability, and impaired ability to concentrate and memory. Stopping smoking is to stop the activation of this AMPK enzyme (AMP-activated protein kinase), that is to say, to trigger the withdrawal symptoms, present in most smokers. Since metformin is already documented to activate AMPK, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania and Johns Hopkins University wondered whether metformin might compensate for the sudden withdrawal of nicotine.
The study found that nicotine-exposed mice injected with metformin prior to weaning had reduced anxiety as measured by food intake and activity testing.
If we are not mice, these first results come from a biological process that stands, that of the reactivation of this AMPK chemical pathway. To date, the 
Metformin is only allowed in the treatment of diabetes, so it should not be used to reduce symptoms of smoking cessation. However, these initial results deserve further research, for validation not only of its effectiveness in smoking cessation but also of greater effectiveness than existing nicotine substitutes. The authors write:
Based on our results demonstrating the efficacy of metformin in alleviating anxiety behavior after nicotine withdrawal, we suggest that activation of AMPK in the brain via metformin may be considered as a new drug therapy for l smoking cessation. Metformin deserves to be explored as a therapeutic option for smoking cessation, in future clinical trials, especially as the drug is relatively safe with an additional advantage, that of normalizing blood sugar control.
Source : Santelog.com/
