Question

Phenformin is a drug that was once prescribed to treat type-2 diabetes. However, it was banned by the FDA because patients started presenting complications from lactic acidosis. If phenformin increases anaerobic metabolism, provide a rationale for lactic acidosis in phenformin-treated patients. Your answer should include a metabolic pathway diagram in your rationale.

Answer 1

As phenformin increases the rate of anerobic metabolism it will promote glycolysis to switch to its anerobic mode. And in this mode the pyruvate will be converted to lactate. And as the metabolism is switched to anerobic mode the oxidative phosphorylation will be affected and to regenerate ATP glycolysis will occour in a faster rate and more and more lactic acid will produce and its concentration will increase in the blood and will result in lactic acidosis.