Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors and hepatoprotection

• Marina I. Strokova
• Olga P. P'yanykh

Abstract

The aim of this literature review is to analyze the data on the possible use of hepatoprotective abilities of an oral hypoglycemic agent class – sodium-glucose cotransporter‑2 inhibitors (gliflozins).

This class has been used for a relatively small amount of time in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (since 2012), however, many additional and potentially practical effects, including hepatoprotective ones, were obtained. Drugs’ effectiveness was assessed in a treatment for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma. Studies have been conducted both on mice or rats and on human tissues in vitro, and, subsequently, in vivo. Results of cohort studies, meta-analyses and systematic reviews were published. This drug class demonstrated the ability to decrease fat accumulation in the liver and pro-inflammatory cytokines expression, the ability to prevent the organ fibrosis progression. Canagliflozin, notably, showed its effectiveness in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. It is necessary to conduct major studies, involving more invasive methods – liver biopsy. Therefore, gliflozins’ indications for use can be expanded in the near future. Drugs of this class would especially be intended for patients with type 2 diabetes, who are at risk of liver diseases and of these diseases progressing more rapidly.

Keywords:sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors; SGLT2, type 2 diabetes mellitus; liver; hepatoprotection

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