ISSN 2996-8215
International Journal of Cardiology | Vol. 11, No. 4, April 2020 | pp. 25–32
DOI: 10.46882/2020/IJC/000133
Original Research Article
Cardioprotective Effects of Empagliflozin in a Rat Model of Diabetic Cardiomyopathy: Interplay with Mitochondrial Dynamin-Related Protein 1 Pathways
Kenji Tanaka¹, Satoshi Yamada¹, Takashi Sato²
¹Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
²Division of Metabolic Diseases, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan
Abstract:
Diabetic cardiomyopathy leads to progressive diastolic failure and myocardial structural derangement. Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors reduce heart failure event rates, but their direct impact on cardiomyocyte mitochondrial dynamics remains characterized. This study investigated the protective effects of empagliflozin on myocardial remodeling and mitochondrial structural integrity in a rat model of type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes was induced in adult male Wistar rats via a high-fat diet combined with a low-dose streptozotocin injection. Diabetic rats were randomized to receive either empagliflozin (10 mg/kg/day, n = 15) or vehicle control (n = 15) via oral gavage for 8 weeks. Cardiac function was monitored using tissue Doppler echocardiography, and structural mitochondrial alignment was assessed via transmission electron microscopy. Empagliflozin significantly improved the diastolic mitral inflow E/A ratio compared to the vehicle group (1.45 ± 0.12 vs. 1.05 ± 0.08, p < 0.01). Electron microscopy revealed that empagliflozin treatment prevented mitochondrial fragmentation, preserving mitochondrial aspect ratios (2.42 ± 0.15 vs. 1.54 ± 0.11, p < 0.01). Western blot analysis demonstrated that empagliflozin up-regulated the expression of mitofusin-2 (Mfn2) and down-regulated dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1), suppressing pro-apoptotic pathways. Empagliflozin significantly improves diastolic performance and mitigates diabetic cardiomyopathy in rats by preserving mitochondrial fusion structural pathways and optimizing metabolic morphology.
Keywords: Diabetic cardiomyopathy, Empagliflozin, SGLT2 inhibitors, Mitochondrial dynamics, Mitofusin-2, Diastolic function
Received: January 08, 2020; Revised: February 22, 2020; Accepted: March 12, 2020; Published: April 18, 2020