IMR Press / RCM / Volume 25 / Issue 3 / DOI: 10.31083/j.rcm2503089
Open Access Original Research
Metformin Therapeutic Targets for Aortic Aneurysms: A Mendelian Randomization and Colocalization Study
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1 Peking University China‐Japan Friendship School of Clinical Medicine, 100029 Beijing, China
2 Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, 100029 Beijing, China
3 China-Japan Friendship Hospital (Institute of Clinical Medical Sciences), Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, 100029 Beijing, China
*Correspondence: jianyanwen@sina.com (Jianyan Wen); liupeng6618@yeah.net (Peng Liu)
These authors contributed equally.
Rev. Cardiovasc. Med. 2024, 25(3), 89; https://doi.org/10.31083/j.rcm2503089
Submitted: 20 August 2023 | Revised: 29 October 2023 | Accepted: 16 November 2023 | Published: 5 March 2024
(This article belongs to the Section Cardiovascular Drugs)
Copyright: © 2024 The Author(s). Published by IMR Press.
This is an open access article under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Abstract

Background: Identifying effective pharmacological interventions to prevent the progressive enlargement and rupture of aortic aneurysms (AAs) is critical. Previous studies have suggested links between metformin use and a decreased incidence of AAs. In this study, we employed Mendelian randomization (MR) to investigate causal effects of metformin’s targets on AA risk and to explore the underlying mechanisms underlying these effects. Methods: To examine the relationship between metformin use and AA risk, we implemented both two-sample MR and multivariable MR analyses. Utilizing genetic instrumental variables, we retrieved cis-expression quantitative trait loci (cis-eQTL) data for potential targets of metformin from the Expression Quantitative Trait Loci Genetics Consortium (eQTLGen) Consortium and Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) project. Colocalization analysis was employed to ascertain the probability of shared causal genetic variants between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with eQTLs and AA. Results: Our findings reveal that metformin use reduces AA risk, exhibiting a protective effect with an odds ratio (OR) of 4.88 × 10-3 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 7.30 × 10-5–0.33, p = 0.01). Furthermore, the protective effect of type 2 diabetes on AA risk appears to be driven by metformin use (ORMVMR = 1.34 × 10-4, 95% CI: 3.97 × 10-8–0.45, p = 0.03). Significant Mendelian randomization (MR) results were observed for the expression of two metformin-related genes in the bloodstream: NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase subunit A6 (NDUFA6) and cytochrome b5 type B (CYB5B), across two independent datasets (ORCYB5B = 1.35, 95% CI: 1.20–1.51, p = 2.41 × 10-7; ORNDUFA6 = 1.12; 95% CI: 1.07–1.17, p = 1.69 × 10-6). The MR analysis of tissue-specific expression also demonstrated a positive correlation between increased NDUFA6 expression and heightened AA risk. Lastly, NDUFA6 exhibited evidence of colocalization with AA. Conclusions: Our study suggests that metformin may play a significant role in lowering the risk of AA. This protective effect could potentially be linked to the mitigation of mitochondrial and immune dysfunction. Overall, NDUFA6 has emerged as a potential mechanism through which metformin intervention may confer AA protection.

Keywords
aortic aneurysm
colocalization
metformin
Mendelian randomization
Funding
82270443/National Natural Science Foundation of China
82170066/National Natural Science Foundation of China
81670275/National Natural Science Foundation of China
81670443/National Natural Science Foundation of China
2022-NHLHCRF-ZSYX-01/National High Level Hospital Clinical Research Funding
2013DFA31900/International S&T cooperation program
2020ZX09201-012/Major New Drug Creation Special Project
Figures
Fig. 1.
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