Saxagliptin Upregulates Nesfatin-1 Secretion and Ameliorates Insulin Resistance and Metabolic Profiles in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Saxagliptin as one of dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors can effectively improve glycaemic control in type 2 diabetes mellitus, and nesfatin-1 is regarded as a very important factor in regulating feeding behavior and energy homeostasis. In this trial, we observed the effect of saxagliptin on regulating nesfatin-1 secretion and ameliorating insulin resistance and metabolic profiles in type 2 diabetes mellitus.

METHODS: One hundred two type 2 diabetes participants (M/F = 48/54) were investigated. Fifty-one (M/F = 24/27) of them as the treatment group were treated with oral glucose-lowering agents including saxagliptin, the other 51 (M/F = 24/27) as the control group were treated with oral glucose-lowering agents excluding any DPP-4 inhibitors. The parameters of serum nesfatin-1, C-peptide, homeostasis model assessment-β (HOMA-β) function, HOMA insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), glycosylated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), body mass index (BMI), and blood pressure (BP) at baseline, month 3, 6, and 12 were observed and compared respectively.

RESULTS: Saxagliptin significantly upregulated nesfatin-1 secretion (P < 0.001 at 3-, 6-, and 12-months vs. baseline), increased serum C-peptide (P < 0.05, 0.001, and 0.001 at 3-, 6-, and 12-months vs. baseline), improved HOMA-IR and function of HOMA-β (P < 0.001 at 3-, 6-, and 12-months vs. baseline) and metabolic profiles (P < 0.001 with HbA1c at 3-, 6- and 12-months; P < 0.001 with LDL-C at 6- and 12-months; P < 0.001 and 0.01 with HDL-C at 6- and 12-months vs. baseline), declined BMI (P < 0.05 at 6- and 12-months vs. baseline) and BP (P < 0.001 with systolic BP (SBP), and mean BP at 6- and 12-months, P < 0.01 with diastolic BP at 6- and 12-months vs. baseline).

CONCLUSIONS: Saxagliptin could upregulate nesfatin-1 secretion and ameliorate insulin resistance and metabolic profiles in type 2 diabetes mellitus. Saxagliptin had the potential to play fundamental by upregulating nesfatin-1 secretion besides lowering glucose by inhibiting the degradation of glucagon-like peptide-1.