Angiotensin-II Receptor Antagonist Alleviates Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver in KKAy Obese Mice with Type 2 Diabetes

• Published in: Journal of international medical research Vol. 34; no. 3; pp. 297 - 302
• Main Authors: Yu, F, Takahashi, T, Moriya, J, Kawaura, K, Yamakawa, J, Kusaka, K, Itoh, T, Sumino, H, Morimoto, S, Kanda, T
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London, England SAGE Publications 01-05-2006
• Subjects: Adiponectin - genetics; Adiponectin - metabolism; Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor Blockers - therapeutic use; Animals; Benzimidazoles - therapeutic use; Blood Glucose - metabolism; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - physiopathology; Fatty Liver - drug therapy; Female; Liver - anatomy & histology; Liver - metabolism; Liver - pathology; Mice; Mice, Obese; Organ Size; Placebos; Random Allocation; RNA, Messenger - metabolism; Tetrazoles - therapeutic use; Obesity; Non-alcoholic fatty liver; Diabetes; Candesartan; Angiotensin-II receptor antagonist; Adiponectin
• ISSN: 0300-0605; 1473-2300
• DOI: 10.1177/147323000603400309

We examined the effects of the angiotensin-II receptor antagonist candesartan on non-alcoholic fatty liver (NAFL) and circulating adiponectin concentrations in KKAy obese mice with type 2 diabetes mellitus. The KKAy mice were randomly assigned to receive either candesartan at a once-daily dose of 10 mg/kg (n = 5) or placebo (n = 5). The differences in liver weight, histological evaluation of hepatic lipid infiltration, serum adiponectin concentration and hepatic adiponectin mRNA levels between the two groups were determined on day 7 after treatment was initiated. Candesartan-treated mice demonstrated significantly lower liver weights and reduced lipid droplets in hepatic cells compared with control mice. The circulating adiponectin levels and hepatic expression of adiponectin mRNA were significantly higher in candesartan-treated mice than control mice. These results suggest that candesartan might alleviate NAFL through elevation of circulating adiponectin levels in KKAy obese mice with type 2 diabetes mellitus.