Figure 2. Metformin reduces urinary cortisol, hydroxyl cortisol, ACTH, and glucose levels in the subjects.

For quantification, (a) cortisol and its metabolite (b) hydroxycortisol, (c) ACTH, and (d) glucose levels were normalized to those of creatinine. Levels of ACTH were measured by ELISA. Data are expressed as the mean ± SE. (e) Correlation between the ratio of cortisol and ACTH levels showed that metformin reduced ACTH secretion and cortisol levels. A representative data from 3 independent experiments.