Sex-specific effects of metformin and liraglutide on renal pathology and expression of connexin 45 and pannexin 1 following long-term high-fat high-sugar diet

xlomafota13 shared this article with you from Inoreader Sex-specific effects of metformin and liraglutide on renal pathology and expression of connexin 45 and pannexin 1 following long-term high-fat high-sugar diet Via histochem Acta Histochem. 2021 Nov 19;123(8):151817. doi: 10.1016/j.acthis.2021.151817. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT The comparative effects of the two commonly used antidiabetic drugs metformin and liraglutide on renal pathology and expression of connexin 45 (Cx45) and pannexin 1 (Panx1) in adult obese rats fed high-fat high-sugar diet (HFHSD) were studied. Considering recent data on the profound influence of sex on metformin and liraglutide effects, we compared the effects of bot h drugs between male and female animals. 44-week-old Sprague-Dawley rats were separated into 4 groups that were fed: standard diet, HFHSD, HFHSD treated with metformin (s.c., 50 mg/kg/day) and HFHSD treated with liraglutide (s.c., 0.3 mg/kg/day). Treatment with metformin or liraglutide lasted for 14 weeks. Histology and immunohistochemistry were performed to quantify renal pathological changes and Cx45 and Panx1 expression. HFHSD caused thickening of the Bowman's capsule (BC). Both metformin and liraglutide failed to ameliorate the BC thickening; metformin even worsened it. Effects on the tubulointerstitial fibrosis score, BC thickness and Cx45 and Panx1 expression were sex-dependent. We found a 50% increase in mitochondria in proximal tubules of metformin- and liraglutide-treated HFHSD-fed rats, but these effects were not dependent on the sex. This is a first study showing that the effects of metformin and liraglutide on kidney pathology in rats fed HFHSD are mostly sex-dependent a nd that these effects are not necessarily beneficial. Both drugs changed the Cx45 and Panx 1 expression; hence their effects could be related to amelioration of disruptions in intercellular communication. PMID:34808525 | DOI:10.1016/j.acthis.2021.151817 View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.