Nephroprotective Effects of Dapagliflozin in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes

Objective This study analyzed changes in the estimated glomerular filtration rate calculated using cystatin C (eGFRcys) and sodium excretion in the urine after administering dapagliflozin as an add-on therapy to conventional treatment for diabetes. Methods This was a single-center, single-group, prospective interventional study. Dapagliflozin was administered to improve the plasma glucose control in 30 subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus (age 53±8 years old; 66.6% men). Blood and urine tests were performed before and 6 and 12 months after dapagliflozin administration. The daily sodium excretion was estimated with the Kawasaki formula using second-morning urine samples. Results The eGFRcys did not markedly differ before and 6 months after the dapagliflozin administration but was significantly increased after 12 months (p<0.001), and the estimated daily sodium excretion was also significantly increased (p<0.001 at 6 months and p=0.002 at 12 months). The systolic and diastolic blood pressures tended to decrease after administration. The HbA1c level after the administration of dapagliflozin tended to be lower in the T3 group, showing the smallest increase in changes in the estimated daily sodium excretion from baseline to 6 months (28.2-107.5 mEq/day), than in the combined groups of T1 (219.5-110.1 mEq/day) and T2 (101.4-28.9 mEq/day). In contrast, the eGFRcys was significantly higher in the combined groups of T1 and T2 than that in the T3 group at both 6 and 12 months (p=0.031 and p=0.007, respectively). Conclusions Add-on therapy with dapagliflozin increased the urinary sodium excretion and decreased the blood pressure even in the early phase of this therapy. Our results suggest that dapagliflozin add-on therapy may exert nephroprotective effects in subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Impact of SGLT-2 Inhibition on Cardiometabolic Abnormalities in a Rat Model of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrine disorder in reproductive-age women. PCOS is characterized by hyperandrogenism and ovulatory dysfunction. Women with PCOS have a high prevalence of obesity, insulin resistance (IR), increased blood pressure (BP), and activation of the renin angiotensin system (RAS). Effective evidence-based therapeutics to ameliorate the cardiometabolic complications in PCOS are lacking. The sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitor Empagliflozin (EMPA) reduces BP and hyperglycemia in type 2 diabetes mellitus. We hypothesized that hyperandrogenemia upregulates renal SGLT2 expression and that EMPA ameliorates cardiometabolic complications in a hyperandrogenemic PCOS model. Four-week-old female Sprague Dawley rats were treated with dihydrotestosterone (DHT) for 90 days, and EMPA was co-administered for the last three weeks. DHT upregulated renal SGLT2, SGLT4, and GLUT2, but downregulated SGLT3 mRNA expression. EMPA decreased DHT-mediated increases in fat mass, plasma leptin, and BP, but failed to decrease plasma insulin, HbA1c, or albuminuria. EMPA decreased DHT-mediated increase in renal angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE), angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), and angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AGT1R) mRNA and protein expression. In summary, SGLT2 inhibition proved beneficial in adiposity and BP reduction in a hyperandrogenemic PCOS model; however, additional therapies may be needed to improve IR and renal injury.

Comparative effectiveness of dapagliflozin vs DPP-4 inhibitors on a composite endpoint of HbA1c, body weight and blood pressure reduction in the real world

BACKGROUND

Treatment of type 2 diabetes (T2D) should aim at preventing or delaying complications through the control of glycaemia and cardiovascular risk factors. We herein compared the SGLT-2 inhibitor dapagliflozin vs DPP-4 inhibitors (DPP-4i) on a composite endpoint of glycaemic and extraglycaemic effectiveness.

METHODS

This was a multicentre, retrospective real-world study conducted at 56 outpatient clinics in Italy. We collected data on patients newly started on dapagliflozin or DPP-4i in 2015-2017. The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients attaining a simultaneous reduction of HbA1c ≥0.5%, body weight ≥2 kg, systolic blood pressure (SBP) ≥2 mmHg. Confounding by indication was addressed by propensity score matching (PSM) or multivariable adjustment (MVA).

RESULTS

Patients initiating dapagliflozin (n = 2091) or DPP-4i (n = 2144) differed for most clinical characteristics. After PSM, two well-balanced groups of 1149 patients each were compared. The primary endpoint was reached in a greater proportion of patients who received dapagliflozin (17.6%) compared to DPP-4i (11.7%), with a relative risk of 1.50 (1.21-1.86; P < .001). Similar results were obtained in the as-treated and intention-to-treat datasets or using MVA in place of PSM. The beneficial effect of dapagliflozin was mainly due to its greater effectiveness on body weight and, to a lesser extent, on SBP. The change in HbA1c did not differ between groups.

CONCLUSIONS

T2D patients initiating the SGLT2i dapagliflozin had a greater probability of attaining a composite endpoint of clinically relevant reductions in HbA1c, body weight and SBP, compared to similar patients initiating a DPP-4i in the same period and healthcare setting.

Dapagliflozin reduces albuminuria in patients with diabetes and hypertension receiving renin-angiotensin blockers

AIMS

To characterize the effect of dapagliflozin on albuminuria and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and to determine whether effects on albuminuria were mediated through changes in glycated haemoblogin (HbA1c), systolic blood pressure (SBP), body weight or eGFR.

METHODS

We conducted a post hoc analysis of data pooled from two phase III clinical trials in hypertensive patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) on stable angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor or angiotensin receptor blocker therapy, randomly assigned to dapagliflozin 10 mg/day or matched placebo. This analysis included only patients with microalbuminuria or macroalbuminuria at baseline.

RESULTS

Patients were randomized to receive dapagliflozin 10 mg (n = 167) or placebo (n = 189). Dapagliflozin resulted in greater 12-week reductions in albuminuria compared with placebo: -33.2% [95% confidence interval (CI) -45.4, -18.2]. The reduction in albuminuria was also present after adjusting for age, sex and changes in HbA1c, SBP, body weight and eGFR: -23.5% (95% CI -37.6, -6.3). There was a decrease in eGFR with dapagliflozin versus placebo that was readily reversed 1 week after last dose. No serious renal-related adverse events were observed in any group.

CONCLUSIONS

Dapagliflozin was effective in lowering albuminuria in patients with T2DM and hypertension using renin-angiotensin system blockade therapy. Reductions in albuminuria were still present after adjusting for changes in HbA1c, SBP, body weight and eGFR. Dapagliflozin-induced improvements in glycaemic control and reductions in SBP, coupled with other potentially beneficial renal effects, may lead to a reduced long-term renal and cardiovascular risk.

Effects of dapagliflozin on blood pressure in hypertensive diabetic patients on renin-angiotensin system blockade

Hypertension and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Dapagliflozin improves glycemic control and systolic blood pressure (SBP) in T2DM patients. This double-blind phase III study evaluated the effects of dapagliflozin on glycemic control and blood pressure in patients with inadequately controlled T2DM and hypertension, despite ongoing therapy with a renin-angiotensin system blocker. Patients were randomized to receive dapagliflozin 10 mg (n = 302) or placebo (n = 311) once daily for 12 weeks. Endpoints were change from baseline to week 12 in seated SBP and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c); longitudinal repeated-measures analysis was performed. Additional endpoints included other hemodynamic measures, serum uric acid, fasting plasma glucose, body weight, blood lipids and heart rate. After 12 weeks, dapagliflozin-treated versus placebo-treated patients showed significant reductions in HbA1c (-0.6% vs -0.1%, p < 0.0001), mean seated SBP (-10.4 vs -7.3 mmHg, p = 0.0010) and mean 24 h ambulatory SBP (-9.6 vs -6.7 mmHg, p = 0.0043). Dapagliflozin also reduced body weight compared with placebo (-1.0 vs -0.3 kg). Dapagliflozin was well tolerated, with adverse events consistent with previous studies. Dapagliflozin improved glycemic control, and reduced SBP as well as body weight in patients with poorly controlled T2DM and hypertension.

Impact of hematopoietic cyclooxygenase-1 deficiency on obesity-linked adipose tissue inflammation and metabolic disorders in mice

OBJECTIVE

Adipose tissue (AT)-specific inflammation is considered to mediate the pathological consequences of obesity and macrophages are known to activate inflammatory pathways in obese AT. Because cyclooxygenases play a central role in regulating the inflammatory processes, we sought to determine the role of hematopoietic cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1) in modulating AT inflammation in obesity.

MATERIALS/METHODS

Bone marrow transplantation was performed to delete COX-1 in hematopoietic cells. Briefly, female wild type (wt) mice were lethally irradiated and injected with bone marrow (BM) cells collected from wild type (COX-1+/+) or COX-1 knock-out (COX-1-/-) donor mice. The mice were fed a high fat diet for 16 weeks.

RESULTS

The mice that received COX-1-/- bone marrow (BM-COX-1-/-) exhibited a significant increase in fasting glucose, total cholesterol and triglycerides in the circulation compared to control (BM-COX-1+/+) mice. Markers of AT-inflammation were increased and were associated with increased leptin and decreased adiponectin in plasma. Hepatic inflammation was reduced with a concomitant reduction in TXB2 levels. The hepatic mRNA expression of genes involved in lipogenesis and lipid transport was increased while expression of genes involved in regulating hepatic glucose output was reduced in BM-COX-1-/- mice. Finally, renal inflammation and markers of renal glucose release were increased in BM-COX-1-/- mice.

CONCLUSION

Hematopoietic COX-1 deletion results in impairments in metabolic homeostasis which may be partly due to increased AT inflammation and dysregulated adipokine profile. An increase in renal glucose release and hepatic lipogenesis/lipid transport may also play a role, at least in part, in mediating hyperglycemia and dyslipidemia, respectively.