Empagliflozin alleviates renal inflammation in Sprague Dawley diabetic rats by inhibiting TLR4 / NF-κB pathway and NLRP3 inflammasome activation
Abstract
Abstract Aims To investigate the potential effects of the SGLT2 inhibitor empagliflozin on renal inflammatory pathways in diabetic rats. Materials and Methods Sprague Dawley (SD) diabetic rats model was established by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (STZ, 35 mg/kg) after 4-week high-sugar and high-fat diet intervention. Rats were randomly assigned to three groups: normal control (NC), diabetes with normal saline (DM + NS), and diabetes with empagliflozin (DM + EMP). Empagliflozin (10mg/kg/day) or equivalent volume of normal saline was administered to the appropriate group. After 4 weeks intervention, the rats were euthanized, and kidney tissues were obtained. The mRNA transcription levels of TLR4, NF-κB, NLRP3, IL-1β, IL-18, caspase-1, caspase-3, and TGF-β1 were assessed using the RT-qPCR. Additionally, Western blot analysis was conducted to determine TLR4, NF-κB, NLRP3 and IL-18 protein expression levels in the rat kidneys. Results Compared to the DM + NS group, the mRNA levels of TLR4, NF-κB, NLRP3, and IL-18 were significantly decreased in the DM + EMP group, TLR4[1.02 (0.32, 2.66) vs. 0.17(0.06, 0.27), P = 0.022], NF-κB[1.38 (1.12, 2.05) vs. 0.82(0.69, 1.00), P = 0.002], and NLRP3[0.60 (0.13, 0.93) vs. 0.04(0.03, 0.18), P = 0.025], IL-18[1.66(1.50, 1.76) vs. 6.68(2.17, 11.16), P = 0.002], respectively. The mRNA levels of IL-1β, caspase-1, caspase-3, and TGF-β1 were demonstrated a significant decrease, but did not reach statistical significance. Empagliflozin…
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a preprint, done in animal, not in people. Its evidence level is 5 of 5 (Very low · case / narrative / animal / in vitro / in silico). Case reports, narrative reviews, and animal, cell or computer-model studies give the weakest evidence for human health.
Read the paper
Related studies
- Strategy for Mitigating DKA Risk in Patients with Type 1 Diabetes on Adjunctive Treatment with SGLT Inhibitors: A STICH Protocol
- Glucoraphanin: a broccoli sprout extract that ameliorates obesity-induced inflammation and insulin resistance
- SGLT2 Inhibitors in Heart Failure: Targeted Metabolomics and Energetic Metabolism
- Mechanisms of blood pressure reduction with sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors
- Sodium-glucose cotransporter inhibitors: beyond glycaemic control
- Decoding the effects of SGLT2 inhibitors on cardiac arrhythmias in heart failure
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.