Investigation of the relationship between inflammation and microbiota in the intestinal tissue of female and male rats fed with fructose: Modulatory role of metformin

Background It has been reported that High-Fructose (HF) consumption, considered one of the etiological factors of Metabolic Syndrome (MetS), causes changes in the gut microbiota and metabolic disorders. There is limited knowledge on the effects of metformin in HF-induced intestinal irregularities in male and female rats with MetS. Objectives In this study, we investigated the sex-dependent effects of metformin treatment on the gut microbiota, intestinal Tight Junction (TJ) proteins, and inflammation parameters in HF-induced MetS. Methods Fructose was given to the male and female rats as a 20% solution in drinking water for 15 weeks. Metformin (200 mg/kg) was administered by gastric tube once a day during the final seven weeks. Biochemical, histopathological, immunohistochemical, and bioinformatics analyses were performed. Differences were considered statistically significant at p