Metformin and AMPK agonist AICAR inhibits hyperglycaemia‐induced Pseudomonas aeruginosa growth across Calu‐3 airway epithelial monolayers. (A) Airway epithelia‐bacteria co‐cultures grown in the presence of 5 or 15 mM basolateral glucose, without (grey bars) or with pre‐treatment with 1 mM metformin (MF; 18 hr pre‐treatment; black bars). Bacterial CFU were measured 7 hrs after infection (percentage compared with mean growth in the presence of 5 mM basolateral glucose control), n = 4, *P < 0.05. (B) Airway epithelia‐bacteria co‐cultures grown in the presence of 15 mM basolateral glucose, without (grey bars) or with pre‐treatment with metformin (MF; 20 μM or 1 mM, 18 hr pre‐treatment; black bars) or AICAR (0.5 mM, 18 hr pre‐treatment; hatched bars). Bacterial CFU were measured 7 hrs after infection (percentage compared with mean growth in the presence of 15 mM basolateral glucose control), n = 6, *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01 compared to 15 mM basolateral glucose control.