Expression of circulating long non-coding MALAT1 and GAS5 under metformin treatment in type 2 diabetic patients

The most prevalent metabolic disorder is type 2 diabetes. Long non-coding RNAs are one of the most effective factors in disease pathogenesis and are also promising therapeutic targets. GAS5 and MALAT1 are two lncRNAs that participate in glucose homeostasis. This study aims to compare the expression levels of lncRNA-GAS5 and lncRNA-MALAT1 in the PBMCs of T2DM patients with healthy individuals. A total of 60 diabetic patients and 60 healthy individuals were selected, including an equal number of males and females. The two groups of diabetic patients—those who had been taking metformin and those who hadn't—were further divided into two subgroups based on their BMI. Following PBMC RNA extraction, cDNA synthesis and the Real-Time qPCR method were used to assess the relative gene expression. Some diabetes risk factors, including elevated FBP, triglycerides, and WBC, and reduced AST enzyme, were observed in Iranian T2DM patients. Additionally, diabetic patients have lower levels of GAS5 and MALAT1 gene expression; nevertheless, T2DM patients' MALAT1 expression decreased in response to metformin treatment. However, increasing in BMI, can be elevated MALAT1 and GAS5 expression in normal individuals. Our study reveals that GAS5 and MALAT1 gene expression is reduced in T2DM patients, and their expression is also related to BMI. Furthermore, it is suggested to consider the effectiveness of new diabetes drugs based on the simulation of the expression pattern of pivotal long non-coding RNAs in the pathways involved in blood sugar regulation.