A research group led by Osaka Metropolitan University has studied how SGLT2 inhibitors, a class of drugs that help the kidneys remove glucose through urine, can protect kidney health in people with type 2 diabetes, potentially reducing the risk of diabetic kidney disease.
A research team led by Associate Professor Katsuhito Mori at Osaka Metropolitan University studied the effects of the SGLT2 inhibitor canagliflozin on kidney health in type 2 diabetes patients.
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Using BOLD (blood oxygenation level-dependent) MRI to measure kidney oxygenation, they found that patients treated with canagliflozin for five days showed increased oxygen levels in their kidneys as early as the first day of treatment. The researchers suggest that this improved oxygenation may help protect kidney function in those with type 2 diabetes.
Professor Mori explained, “In animal experiments, the amount of oxygen in the kidneys can be measured by inserting a microelectrode, but this is impossible in humans. BOLD MRI can measure kidney oxygenation noninvasively, and this is expected to become an important technology for elucidating the mechanisms of kidney disease and developing therapeutic drugs.”
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Journal Reference:
- Katsuhito Mori, Tsutomu Inoue et al. Effects of canagliflozin on kidney oxygenation evaluated using blood oxygenation level-dependent MRI in patients with type 2 diabetes. Frontiers in Endocrinology. DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2024.1451671
