Combined treatment with dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor (sitagliptin) and angiotensin-II type 1 receptor blocker (losartan) suppresses progression in a non-diabetic rat model of steatohepatitis.

AIM: Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP4) inhibitors (DPP4-I) are oral glucose-lowering drugs for type 2 diabetes mellitus. Previously, we reported that DPP4-I (sitagliptin) exerted suppressive effects on experimental liver fibrosis in rats. Blockade of the renin-angiotensin system by angiotensin-II type 1 receptor blocker (losartan), commonly used in the management of hypertension, has been shown to significantly alleviate hepatic fibrogenesis and carcinogenesis. We aimed to elucidate the effects and possible mechanisms of a sitagliptin + losartan combination on the progression of non-diabetic non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) in a rat model.

METHODS: To induce NASH, Fischer 344 rats were fed a choline-deficient L-amino acid-defined diet for 12 weeks. We elucidated the chemopreventive effects of sitagliptin + losartan, especially in conjunction with hepatic stellate cell (HSC) activation, angiogenesis, and oxidative stress, all known to play important roles in the progression of NASH.

RESULTS: Sitagliptin + losartan suppressed choline-deficient L-amino acid-defined diet-induced hepatic fibrogenesis and carcinogenesis. The combination treatment exerted a greater inhibitory effect than monotherapy. These inhibitory effects occurred almost concurrently with the suppression of HSC activation, neovascularization, and oxidative stress. In vitro studies showed that sitagliptin + losartan inhibited angiotensin II-induced proliferation and expression of transforming growth factor-β1 and α1 (I)-procollagen mRNA of activated HSC and in vitro angiogenesis, in parallel with the suppression observed in in vivo studies.

CONCLUSIONS: The widely and safely used sitagliptin + losartan combination treatment in clinical practice could be an effective strategy against NASH.