The effects of metformin, ibuprofen and acetylsalicylic acid on telomerase enzyme activity

DNA structures that are important for the stability and replication of eukaryotic chromosomes are called "telomeres". Telomeres shorten at each cell division and if the telomerase enzyme, which extends the telomere structure, does not show sufficient activity, the cell stops dividing at a critical length. This is seen as one of the reasons of aging. In contrast, in cancer cells where telomere is not shortened, it is largely the activity of telomerase enzyme, which allows for unlimited division. The telomerase enzyme is therefore critical for both aging and cancer. Metformin, ibuprofen, and acetylsalicylic acid used in this research are drugs that can be used by millions of people over the world, with or without a prescription. In this thesis, the effects of these drugs on telomerase activity in liver tissues of Mus musculus swiss albino mice were investigated. Telomerase activity was measured by PCR-ELISA based method. According to the data obtained, metformin showed a slight inhibitory effect on telomerase enzyme activity in the lower doses. In ibuprofen application, there is a significant inhibitory effect when high doses are used, and a low inhibitory effect at low doses. In acetylsalicylic acid application, a slight activator effect was detected, although not statistically significant.