Fig. 2
a For each cell line: cells were treated with either 2 or 10 mM metformin vs. control (no metformin) for 48 h and TGFAs measured using gas chromatography (GC). Data are expressed as mean total TGFA (µg/4 × 106 cells) ± SEM (n = 3). b LD540 staining of lipid droplets (green) in MCF7 cells treated with 0, 2 and 10 mM metformin and control (MCF7 cells treated with 250 µM oleate). DAPI-stained nuclei are seen in blue. c LD540 staining of control and metformin-treated MDA-MB-468 xenografts. Image analysis quantification of the LD540 staining in the xenografts expressed as a percentage of the area staining for DAPI (n = 6, each group). d KEGG pathway and key genes relating to fatty acid modification with increased expression following metformin treatment in clinical study (all tumours; n = 36). e Effect of metformin on the SCD and ELOVL indices in MCF7 and MDA-MB-468 cells (n = 4–6). f Diagram to show initial desaturation and elongation steps for palmitic acid prior to storage triglyceride. Data shown are mean ± SEM. *p < 0.05; **p < 0.01; ***p < 0.001.
