[Click! Health] Diabetes Medications Effective in Reducing Liver Inflammation?

A study has found that diabetes medications are effective in alleviating liver inflammation.

A research team led by Professors Bong-Soo Cha, Yong-Ho Lee, and Min-Young Lee from the Department of Endocrinology at Severance Hospital, along with Professor Dae-Hoon Han from the Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, announced on the 30th that the 'SGLT-2 inhibitors' prescribed to diabetic patients to lower blood sugar reduce glucose accumulation in liver cells and alleviate hepatitis. The results of this study were published in the latest issue of the international journal in the field of endocrinology and metabolism, Metabolism.

Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), a condition where fat accumulates in the liver causing damage and inflammation, has up to a 29% chance of developing cirrhosis within 10 years. When cirrhosis is present, the incidence of liver cancer rises to as much as 27%. Although non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a common liver disease affecting about 20% of the global population, there is currently no treatment approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The research team analyzed liver tissues from 29 patients with NAFLD and 15 patients without NAFLD who underwent liver resection or cholecystectomy at Severance Hospital between 2015 and 2019 due to liver cancer, cholecystitis, and other conditions. They found that in livers affected by NASH, the protein SGLT-2, which transports glucose into cells, and proteins bound to glucose inside the cells were increased.

The team hypothesized that the diabetes medication SGLT-2 inhibitors, which lower blood sugar, would reduce excessive glucose intake into liver cells and thereby alleviate NASH. They observed mice induced with NASH, which exhibited the same protein changes as seen in patients with NASH. Furthermore, they confirmed that the autophagy function of liver cells, responsible for cleaning damaged tissues and waste, was impaired and the extent of liver inflammation was increased. The researchers interpreted this as glucose binding to proteins responsible for autophagy, reducing their normal function.

After administering SGLT-2 inhibitors, the expression of SGLT-2 protein and glucose-bound proteins in the mouse liver decreased, autophagy function in liver cells was restored, and inflammatory responses were alleviated. The research team explained that these changes correspond to the process of symptom improvement in NASH. Professor Bong-Soo Cha stated, "This study is significant as the first to provide medical evidence and mechanisms showing that the diabetes medication SGLT-2 inhibitors alleviate symptoms of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis."

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