Renal protective effects of telmisartan

The increasing prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM) has led to a growing number of chronic complications including diabetic nephropathy (DN). Approximately 30% of patients with either type 1 or type 2 DM develop DN. DN is the single most common cause of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in adults. Recent evidence shows that telmisartan (an angiotensin receptor blocker) provides renal benefit at all stages of the renal continuum in patients with type 2 DM. However, little is known about the mechanism underlying the renal protection of telmisartan.

Zhang et al. performed this study with the aim of determining the mechanism of telmisartan improving kidney function by using gene array experiments. By comparing the gene expression profiles of treatment groups with the vehicle group, they hoped to identify the putative molecular mechanisms for the renal protective effects of telmisartan in diabetic rats.

Their studies provide evidence that telmisartan reduces 24-h urinary albumin, serum creatinine, and serum urea nitrogen in a dose-dependent manner, and ameliorates kidney function in diabetic rats. They found that the mechanisms involved are in the oxidative phosphorylation pathway, the PPAR-γ pathway, and the slit diaphragm. These results provide molecular information for further investigation of the mechanisms by which telmisartan moderates kidney function in diabetic rats. Furthermore, these results could be important in devising mechanism-based and targeted therapeutic strategies for DN and kidney dysfunction. Zhang et al. (2012) Journal of Molecular Endocrinology 49 35-46.

Read the full article at: DOI: 10.1530/JME-12-0020