Late life metformin treatment limits cell survival and shortens lifespan by triggering an aging-associated failure of energy metabolism

Abstract

The diabetes drug metformin is to be clinically tested in aged humans to achieve health span extension, but little is known about responses of old non-diabetic individuals to this drug. By in vitro and in vivo tests we found that metformin shortens life span and limits cell survival when provided in late life, contrary to its positive early life effects. Mechanistically, metformin exacerbates aging-associated mitochondrial dysfunction towards respiratory failure, aggravated by the inability of old cells to upregulate glycolysis in response to metformin, leading to ATP exhaustion. The beneficial dietary restriction effect of metformin on lipid reserves is abrogated in old animals, contributing to metabolic failure, while ectopic stabilization of cellular ATP levels alleviates late life metformin toxicity in vitro and in vivo. The toxicity is also suspended in nematodes carrying diabetes-like insulin receptor insufficiency and showing prolonged resilience to metabolic stress induced by metformin. In sum, we uncovered an alarming metabolic decay triggered by metformin in late life which may limit its benefits for non-diabetic elderly patients. Novel regulators of life extension by metformin are also presented. Highlights Late life metformin treatment limits cell survival and shortens lifespan. Metformin exacerbates aging-associated mitochondrial dysfunction causing fatal ATP exhaustion. Old cells fail to upregulate glycolysis as a compensatory response to metformin. The dietary restriction (DR) mimetic response to metformin is abrogated in old animals. PKA and not AMPK pathway instigates the early life DR response to metformin. Stabilization of cellular ATP levels alleviates late life metformin toxicity in vitro and in vivo.