In people with type 2 diabetes and kidney disease, a medication called semaglutide lowers a marker of kidney damage (urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio) by about 30% after two years compared to a...
Mechanism
Synthesis from 1 study
Semaglutide helps the kidneys’ filtering system work more gently by lowering pressure inside the filters and reducing swelling, which keeps protein from escaping into the urine. This happens whether or not the person is already taking another kidney medicine, suggesting semaglutide works through a...
Most probable mechanism
Semaglutide helps the kidneys filter blood more gently by reducing the pressure inside the filtering units and calming down inflammation, which stops too much protein from leaking into the urine.
Semaglutide activates GLP-1 receptors on renal vasculature and podocytes, leading to afferent arteriolar vasoconstriction and reduced intraglomerular pressure
Reduced intraglomerular pressure decreases mechanical stress on podocytes, preserving the glomerular filtration barrier integrity
Semaglutide suppresses pro-inflammatory cytokine expression in renal tissue, reducing macrophage infiltration and local inflammation
Improved glomerular barrier function reduces albumin translocation into the tubular lumen, lowering urinary albumin excretion
Evidence from Studies
Supporting (1)
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